Garmin Reactor 40 Kicker User Manual

REACTOR™ 40 KICKER

THROTTLE ACTUATOR

INSTALLATION

INSTRUCTIONS

Important Safety Information

WARNING

See the product box for product warnings and other important information.

You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your vessel. The autopilot is a tool that enhances your capability to operate your boat. It does not relieve you of the responsibility of safely operating your boat. Avoid navigational hazards and never leave the helm unattended.

Always be prepared to promptly regain manual control of your boat.

If your motor features a kill switch, you should know how to operate it in case of an emergency. If your motor does not feature a kill switch, you should install one before installing the autopilot system.

Learn to operate the autopilot on calm and hazard-free open water.

Use caution when operating the autopilot near hazards in the water, such as docks, pilings, and other boats.

When in use, beware of hot surfaces on the heat-sink, motor, and solenoid components.

When in use, beware the risk of entrapment or pinching from moving parts.

Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with these instructions could result in damage or injury.

Tools Needed

• Wrenches

• Phillips screwdriver

• Marine sealant

• Loctite® thread lock (for Honda® motor installs)

Parts Identification

The throttle actuator is the component of the Reactor 40 Kicker autopilot system that controls the speed of the motor.

You must install the throttle actuator inside the motor housing and connect it to the carburetor throttle lever using the linkage parts supplied in this package. Different motor types require different linkage parts, and the parts are separated into separate bags. These instructions refer to the labels on the bags when discussing the parts needed for different motor types.

Throttle Actuator

Important Safety and Product Information guide in the

CAUTION

Number Part Notes

Throttle cable

RPM cable Connects to the spark plug to measure the

ECU cable Connects the throttle actuator to the ECU of the

Connects to the carburetor linkage to pull open the carburetor and control the speed of the motor.

Consult the section for your motor type for details about how to connect this cable to the carburetor linkage.

motor RPM (Connecting the RPM Cable,

page 5).

autopilot system (Connecting the Throttle

Actuator to the ECU

, page 5).

Parts Bags

You should refer to this table to determine which parts apply to your motor type.

Common parts. These parts are used when installing the actuator on all motor types.

Parts for 8 through 9.9 horsepower Yamaha® motors.

Parts for 15 through 20 horsepower Yamaha motors.

Parts for 8 through 9.9 horsepower Mercury® motors.

Parts for 15 through 20 horsepower Mercury EFI motors.

Parts for 8 through 20 horsepower Honda motors.

Installation Preparation

Mounting and Connection Considerations

When preparing to install the throttle actuator, observe the following considerations:

• You must install the throttle actuator inside the motor housing.

• Most motors use a throttle linkage to control the carburetor throttle lever. You should replace the factory-installed throttle linkage with the provided throttle linkage to prevent the throttle actuator from back-driving the throttle on the tiller (Tiller Back Drive Considerations, page 1).

• You must secure the throttle cable to the motor manifold and connect it to the carburetor throttle lever on the motor using the included bracket and linkage specific to your motor type.

• You can place the throttle actuator box in any available space inside the motor housing after you secure the throttle cable to the manifold and route the other cables. You can use the included large zip ties to secure the throttle actuator box inside the motor housing to keep it from moving during use.

• You must secure the RPM cable to the outside of a spark plug cable (Connecting the RPM Cable, page 5).

• You must connect the throttle actuator to the ECU of the autopilot system using the provided cable run from inside the motor housing (Connecting the Throttle Actuator to the ECU,

page 5).

Tiller Back Drive Considerations

Most motors use a throttle linkage to control the carburetor throttle lever. This linkage opens and closes the carburetor when you adjust the throttle on the tiller arm. Because the autopilot throttle actuator controls the speed of the motor from inside the motor housing, you should replace the factoryinstalled throttle linkage with the provided throttle linkage. This prevents the throttle actuator from back-driving the throttle on the tiller arm, but still allows you to use the throttle on the tiller arm when you are not using the autopilot system to control the motor.

See the connections diagram for your motor type to locate the existing throttle linkage and replace it with the included linkage.

NOTE: Because of the motor design, you cannot replace the throttle linkage on Honda motors. Under typical operation, the

February 2019

190-02451-94_0A

throttle actuator back-drives the throttle on the tiller arm on Honda motors, and you must adjust the friction collar on the throttle to allow the actuator to control the speed of the motor (Adjusting the Throttle Friction, page 5).

Assembling the Carburetor Linkage

The carburetor linkage allows the throttle cable from the actuator to pull open the carburetor throttle lever on the motor.

Remove the carburetor linkage arm from the bag

containing the parts for your motor.

Remove the carburetor linkage bracket from the bag

containing common parts . Using the bolt and nut in the bag containing common parts,

connect the carburetor linkage bracket to the carburetor linkage arm on the tapered end of the arm.

Tighten the nut so the bracket is securely connected to the

arm, but loose enough so the bracket moves freely.

Connecting the Throttle Actuator Cable to the Carburetor Linkage

The carburetor linkage is designed to hold the cable from the throttle actuator securely. Because of the design, you must connect the throttle actuator cable to the carburetor linkage before you secure the parts to the motor.

If necessary, assemble the carburetor linkage (Assembling

the Carburetor Linkage, page 2).

Place the round end of the throttle actuator cable into the

hole on the end of the carburetor linkage.

Number Part Notes

Throttle actuator cable (from the throttle actuator box)

Throttle cable bracket

Manifold mounting location

Carburetor linkage

Motor carburetor throttle lever

Tiller throttle linkage rod

Tiller throttle linkage

You should connect the throttle actuator

cable to the carburetor linkage before

securing it to the throttle cable bracket (Connecting the Throttle Actuator Cable to

the Carburetor Linkage, page 2).

You must secure the throttle actuator cable

to the throttle cable bracket using the

included zip ties (Securing the Throttle

Actuator Cable to the Bracket for Most Motor Types, page 5).

You must remove the existing bolt on the manifold and use it to secure the throttle

cable bracket . You may need to move the hose connected

to the bolt to properly secure the bracket.

You must assemble the carburetor linkage before installing it (Assembling the

Carburetor Linkage, page 2).

You must remove the set screw on the throttle lever to disconnect the tiller throttle

linkage rod and install the carburetor

linkage and plastic washers.

You do not replace this rod when installing the other linkage parts, but you must remove it temporarily to secure the carburetor linkage

to the throttle lever .

TIP: You can mark the location on the rod where it connects to the throttle lever so it is easier to note the proper motor idle when you reconnect it.

You must replace this linkage component with the new part provided in the parts bag. You should save the linkage component in case you need to restore the motor to its factory configuration in the future.

Rotate the cable so it feeds through the slot on the end of the

linkage.

Yamaha 8 through 9.9 Horsepower Connections

Setting the Linkage Components for Proper Idle

After you install the throttle actuator components on the motor, you must adjust them so the motor idles correctly.

Loosen the throttle actuator bracket on the engine manifold

until the throttle actuator does not pull open the carburetor throttle lever.

There should be obvious slack in the throttle actuator cable. Adjust the tiller throttle to idle, start the motor, and complete

an action:

• If the motor is not idling correctly, loosen the set screw on

the carburetor throttle lever, adjust the tiller throttle linkage rod until the motor idles correctly, and tighten the set screw.

• If the motor idles correctly, proceed to the next step. Using the tiller throttle, increase the speed of the motor, and

complete an action:

• If the motor does not increase its speed and return to idle

correctly, repeat the previous step to adjust the tiller throttle linkage rod.

• If the motor increases its speed and returns to idle

correctly, proceed to the next step.

Adjust the position of the throttle actuator bracket until no

slack remains in the throttle actuator cable and the motor idles correctly.

Tighten the throttle actuator bracket on the engine manifold

to set the cable tension. If necessary, turn off the motor.

+ 4 hidden pages