Perfect Pass foot throttle

[Lucas]

Hey just wondering if it is at all possible to rig perfect pass up with a foot throttle or is that a no goer?

[Intheday]

Wondering the same thing. I have heard of it being done, though I have not seen it myself and when I e-mailed perfect pass they said you needed a hand throttle. Guess a long winded I don't know

[MISkier]

Does the boat already have PP? Does the boat already have a foot throttle or are you modifying it? The key PerfectPass components that manage the throttle are on the engine. If you had PP already and wanted a foot throttle, it would depend on what you are altering to install the foot throttle. So, as long as you don't change the linkage (or drive-by-wire components) on the engine, it seems like it would still work. However, now you are altering the throttle stability a little and that may affect how PP stays engaged. You would have to keep your foot steady at the throttle position where PP engaged. You couldn't let up or press down any significant amount or you will override PP or it will think you have taken control and disengage. A hand throttle stays in position when the driver releases it (or stops applying movement). Your foot throttle would have to do the same or the driver would need to maintain the last foot throttle position in order for PP to continue to operate.

[Jody_Seal]

You could set up with a foot throttle however the return spring on the foot throttle would over come the pp stepper motor. keep in mind that the pp was designed to manually by hand pull the throttle down. Not sure I would want a pp set up hooked to a foot throttle just for that reason.

[kmenard]

I have a foot throttle and hand throttle on my boat...I LOVE the foot throttle, but trying to hold a skier at +-1mph is nearly impossible.

[Waternut]

The only solution is still use a stiff throttle cable like we currently have on the hand throttle. With that kind of setup, you will have to strap your foot to the pedal so that you can back off throttle when you need to. You won't be able to let off throttle like you would in a car with a tension cable. A tension cable like would be in a car won't work because you'd be pulling the PP linkages any time you moved your foot defeating the whole point of PP in the first place.

 

Sounds awesome in theory because you could hang on to the steering wheel with both hands but don't forget about reverse and emergency actions.

[Kelvin]

You could install one of the original Accuski systems, it had a foot pedal.

[Jody_Seal]

"Back In My Day!"

 

I used to train with an old Stevens flat bottom "V"-drive. My wife could run 16.08 like clock work with a foot throttle! Big Block Chevy and headers too!

 

 

[ral]

Perfect Pass? Foot throttle?

[Jody_Seal]

Foot throttle Stevens,

 

 

Check out the Air guide pitto!

[ral]

I like that boat!

[GregHind]

I've done a few pp systems with a foot throttle. The problem is that most foot throttles are push throttles. Pp works with pull throttles. I.e. pull to accelerate.

 

The foot strap idea is dangerous. You need to have a suitable spring in the throttle and a lighter one in the engine.

 

Lucas. What is the boat and engine?

[Lucas]

@GregHind it is a Raider Sports with a 350 vortec engine. I'm not sure if that'd mean anything to you, its an entry level ski boat made in Australia

[Lucas]

@MISkier the boat doesn't have PP and already has a foot throttle. By how that sounds it seems as though my best bet would be to install a hand throttle or just a new boat altogether.

[XR6Hurricane]

I've got a foot throttle in my boat and surprisingly I like it better for pulling skiers than most of the hand throttles I've used. It's actually easier to momentarily slow down for boat wakes and then move back to the speed you were originally at. Hand throttles never seem to have as smooth of motion and are therefore harder to dial in, at least in the outboard world. But I'm talking about driving manually without PP.

[Intheday]

@Lucas I am in west oz and thinking of doing the same to an old Lewis. A mate of mine has seen one in a foot throttle boat over here.

[Lucas]

@Intheday how do you think you will go about it?

[Intheday]

Waiting to have a look at the one installed or talk to the distibutors over here. But my thoughts are that I will go for the Stargazer PP (don't need paddle wheels ect). I think that as long as you hold your foot steady on the throttle the servo for PP should still operate okay as mine is pull to open.

[GregHind]

Lucas I'm in Tasmania and have seen photos of your model boat. I probably did the WA pp foot throttle system. It can be done but it is much easier to convert to a pull throttle (hand or foot) first. I used to prefer a really good foot throttle over a hand but most were stiff and notchy. I was going to say I haven't driven a foot throttle in ages but i drive a rolco nirvana with a hot 350 chev quite a bit. I don't think twice about either.

 

Nearly everybody that asks about foot throttle pp is in Australia. Just remember that nearly all Aussie ft boats are push foot throttles and that is properly hard to make work with pp. honestly just covert to pull.

 

Greg

[Waternut]

What about just having a really strong spring on the engine side? Then you could just put the pedal to the floor once PP has engaged and allow it to back it off accordingly. As long as your foot is hard on the pedal, PP will act normally. I would imagine a foot throttle is already a pull to open cable so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

Be really careful with your spring choices on the pedal and the engine though. In order to disengage the system, I think the pedal spring will have to be stronger than the engine spring but don't quote me on that.

[GregHind]

@waternut the pp servo motor is strong but has its limits. You can make the engine spring's job easier - and use a smaller spring there - by having a spring on the foot throttle. Both springs must be pulling the engine back to idle and only your foot or hand throttle pulls it towards more throttle.

 

The bigger hassle is that most foot throttles are push to accelerate not pull.

[Phil2360]

@Lucas, @GregHind

 

Did this with my PP installation many years back.

Ours is still based on a push to accelerate cable.

Was a slight challenge, but has serviced us well for over 5 years.

Will dig up some pics & post.

Actually glad I made the decision to retain the Foot throttle & not convert to a had throttle.

I think its better at the turns & setup.

[Lucas]

@Phil2360 mine is push to accelerate so it'd be great to see what you've done! Is it very difficult to keep the throttle steady enough to keep PP engaged?

[Phil2360]

Ok, Here's the original push throttle setup.

 

 

This is the Converted setup to be pulling the throttle open & allow Perfect Pass to interact with it.

The Bell Crank was the only part I need to get someone to make up.

It's cut & machined from Aluminium with a bearing pushed into the center.

The "Proto-type" was timber.

 

 

 

[Phil2360]

@Lucas, It really was pretty easy in the end, once I got a few of the other

stupid ideas I had in mind out of the way.

 

And Re keeping the throttle steady.

It's never seems a problem.

 

While I might only "think" I am not moving it,

I suppose the truth of the matter is in systems ability to return good times,

usually within 0.01 or 0.02 at each ball.

 

Don't thing the times would be that good if we were constantly tap dancing on a foot throttle.

 

Those pics are the very first time out. Have refined a few things since then.

 

Will try & update them.

[Waternut]

I converted my from push to pull over the winter but before that I basically just ran an aluminum block that was drilled and tapped for M4 bolts (I think that's what the throttle cable is). In one of the tapped holes was the push throttle and the other was a long screw that screws into the PP servo cable. The only other thing that had to be done was shift the push throttle cable back a few inches so there was adequate room for the new rod to pull the throttle open.

 

Hope that makes sense because I don't have any pictures of it.

[Lucas]

@Phil2360 thats a pretty bloody good design you've got there, thanks heaps for that! I think once it warms up a bit i might have to venture down to you and have a session, then I might be able to get a first hand look at it.

[Phil2360]

@Lucas,

 

You're welcome. Our course is still floating in the dam.

Didn't get to pull it for winter. Even still got the Caravan parked

at the waters edge. Might have to retreive it to-morrow.

 

Pity you didn't grab a PP system before the dollar took a dive.

I got mine from Skier to Skier in the States & the Z-Box direct from

Canada.

 

Only other issue I had, was that the standard cable was a bit long.

Emailed Perfect Pass asking about the price of a shorter cable & a week later

one turn up in the post. Free of charge.

[Phil2360]

By the way, those exhaust gaskets were temporary.