shift linkage adjustment

[mjharley]

I understand the procedure for shift linkage adjustment. My problem is with motor in neutral and shift control in neutral linkage will not adjust out far enough to connect. with linkage connected motor will shift into forward gear but want go into reverse.. goes just far enough to get clicking of gears..thank you for any help.

 

[mjharley]

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[racerone]

Was the lower unit off ??----Was the shift rod turned ?----Was the shift rod height adjusted / set ?

 

[mjharley]

Not since I have owned it...I replaced the original motor with this current one. It worked ok to start with but shortly therefter started having problems..

 

[racerone]

I would take the lower unit off and check /set the shift rod height.

 

[mjharley]

Ok..thank you

 

[mjharley]

So adjusting the shift rod height will center the shift arm?

 

[oldboat1]

Do throttle and shift controls at the motor operate correctly without remote cables attached?

 

[emdsapmgr]

The red end of both cables looks odd. Are you sure these are factory cables? Usually the factory cables have black plastic ends. And are usually longer. Maybe you are not working with a factory control box?

 

[mjharley]

Do throttle and shift controls at the motor operate correctly without remote cables attached?

Yes they do.

 

[mjharley]

The red end of both cables looks odd. Are you sure these are factory cables? Usually the factory cables have black plastic ends. And are usually longer. Maybe you are not working with a factory control box?

Not factory..this motor is on a houseboat..the old motor was a Johnson 150 and these cables worked fine with it..I believe these are universal ends for the cable..wish they were longer, just need a little bit to go in gear.

 

[racerone]

The way I see it is --1 you risk damage to the lower unit shift clutch.---2-On a new to you motor you need to install a new impeller anyways.---So do both at the same time.---If shift rod height is correct then adjust the red end of the cable.---Your call , your $$$

 

[mjharley]

The way I see it is --1 you risk damage to the lower unit shift clutch.---2-On a new to you motor you need to install a new impeller anyways.---So do both at the same time.---If shift rod height is correct then adjust the red end of the cable.---Your call , your $$$

I agree..but when I bought the motor I was assured impeller was changed..maybe rod height was checked then also..is any way to tell if the cable may be just worn/stretched? Thx

 

[racerone]

Did the control work OK with the previous motor ??--Motor models have not been posted in this case as is usual.----Normally the shift function does not change from one motor to the next.--Your call, your money.--It is so easy to make sure that things are indeed correct.

 

[mjharley]

Ok..yes it worked before, just wanted to check all possibilities..lot involved pulling a houseboat out of the water..dropping lower unit no problem..thx to everyone..

 

[oldboat1]

From your picture and description, the problem appears to be the remote cable, not the engine mechanisms. Remote cables have to be adjusted to fit the motor linkages, not the other way around.

If the motor linkages pictured are set correctly (in neutral and at idle), the throttle cable is apparently too short. You need to adjust that Morse-style end for more length. If you can't adjust it any longer, you need a longer cable. Maybe you can relocate the control box to give you more length.

 

[racerone]

Post a picture of the shift bits on the motor in nuetral and the control box in nuetral.---Show the red cable end clearly.

 

[emdsapmgr]

It is possible for a control box to work perfectly on one engine and incorrectly on another. The set adjustments vary on each engine, depending on how the shift rod height was set. The height of the shift rod can be off slightly and cause the shift problems you encounterbetween the two engines. Many times when the impeller is changed, the person doing the work may not notice if the shift rod height was changed during the impeller install. Granted, it's unusual if it's changed slightly, but it does not take much to throw a "normal" shift rod adjustment off. I agree with racer. Pull the lower unit down and double check the shift rod height to the factory manual spec. If that does not work, I'd be looking to temporarily borrow a factory control box with factory cables to do some testing.

 

[racerone]

Post a picture of the shift lever ON THE ENGINE when motor is in nuetral.------That lever should be vertical or near vertical.----You might be 5000 miles away, without clear pictures no help is available !

 

[oldboat1]

will defer to racerone and emdsapmgr on this -- and as Racer says, should get in there and change out the impeller anyway (check the rod height).

(My hangup is that the motor linkage appears to be working correctly, absent remote cables. But maybe all is not well, and the problem shows up when operating remotely.)