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I'm looking for alternatives to replace an aging failing control box on a 13 year old 170 Montauk (recently repowered with existing rigging). A question that keeps coming up as I look at parts is whether the shift/throttle cables are "Gen II" or not. At what point did these control components become Gen II? Before or after 2004?
And I guess the other obvious question is does it matter?
A call to BW customer service may help you out. Around the time of your boat, Mercury was using a control unit that was "not the best". it had shift detent problems. If you have that one, instead of the earlier (and excellent) "angled cover" (see my website for photos of mine)
I would buy one of the brand new ones (about $250), with a rounded cover. These would definitely use the Gen II cables, which yours may also use. The ones I have use the Gen I cables.
As for cables I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the new SeaStar Solutions XTREME cables. They are really smooth working, almost as good a DTS. No other cables compare.
I found the installation manual for the control with the info packet I got when I bought the boat in 2004. It is indeed a Gen II control, so I can directly replace it with the latest control (the one with a semicircular cover instead of trapezoidal).
The cables are next to go. And I hear you about good ones. They are not expensive enough to do them on the cheap.
