alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

achris

More fish than mountain goat
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May 19, 2004
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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

.... Is the dog clutch engaged when the prop cannot be moved with great force, or when it cannot be moved with gental force, but can be rotated with more force put on the prop?

You need to specify the gear you're in and the direction you're turning the prop. Because the dog clutch has one 'square' side and one ramped side that will change the characteristics.

To check of the dog is fully engaged in forward gear you want as little easy movement as possible. It will lock solid going CCW but given enough force it will ratchet going CW. When the amount of movement of the prop between locking (CCW) and starting to move up the ramp (CW) is at a minimum, that is fully engaged. The opposite directions apply for reverse gear.

1/8" movement between the lower shift shaft and the intermediate sounds a bit much. Check the 'shoe' on the lower shaft on the sides and the insides of the 'foot' for excess wear. I would take a pair of vice grips and GENTLY give the foot end of the intermediate shaft a squeeze. It needs to be a snug fit, without binding. That should reduce the excess movement at that end. Have you checked the play in the lower shift cable system yet? What was the result? I would expect it to be more than 9/16" with that amount of movement between the shafts....

Cable travel on the remote control =3", excellent. But how much slop in the system? Put the remote in forward, give the shift plate end of the cable a bit of a push and make a mark on the cable guide. Without moving the control lever give the cable end a bit of a pull... How far did it move?

Chris........
 

sti1471

Petty Officer 1st Class
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312
Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

When I do the test you specifies with the remote cable, it pulls out about 1/4" of slop.

I think it is this slop that is causing it not to engage but I'm not sure how to isolate if its the remote or the cable. I'm also wondering if there is too much play in the shift shaft.

How should the prop feel when the dog is locked in reverse?
 

maicoman

Seaman
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Nov 10, 2010
Messages
58
Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Did you by any chance replace the shift lever at the end of the cable.This mechanism can be installed backwards and the symptoms you describe can happen.
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

When I do the test you specifies with the remote cable, it pulls out about 1/4" of slop.

I think it is this slop that is causing it not to engage but I'm not sure how to isolate if its the remote or the cable. I'm also wondering if there is too much play in the shift shaft.

How should the prop feel when the dog is locked in reverse?

Exactly the same as in forward, but it responses to the opposite directions of rotation... Did you look at the drawing I did earlier (feels like about a month ago now!)? Have you checked the free play in the lower shift cable?

Before moving onto the remote control we still need to confirm that the lower shift cable and all the shift shafts and connections have not got too much slop.... Please check and post the slop in the lower shift system....

Chris.......

Have a look at this thread (by Don S) http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1930449#post1930449 and have a look at the pictures of the dog clutch and how the system works. I suspect you still don't quite understand how the dogs operate. These drawings and pictures are better than I can do, have a good look at them. It also explains very well how the interrupt system works (which will be your next set of questions :D).....
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

When I do the test you specifies with the remote cable, it pulls out about 1/4" of slop.

I think it is this slop that is causing it not to engage but I'm not sure how to isolate if its the remote or the cable. I'm also wondering if there is too much play in the shift shaft.

How should the prop feel when the dog is locked in reverse?

My boat passed all the troubleshooting tests that Chris showed me, but it still behaved just like you're describing. I had 3" of travel in the upper, less than 9/16" in the lower, the 6" center to center on the lower. But still, no luck. When I put the control stick in neutral and pushed and pulled on the upper shift cable, it had about 3/8" of slop, as compared to the new cable which had at most 1/8". If you've got 1/4" of slop, that may do it. These cables are only about $25 in the iboats store. I'd go ahead and replace it.

Prop should absolutely lock CCW. You'd actually be able to turn the engine if you had Hulk strength.
 

sti1471

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Is there a way to remove cable slop at the back of the remote lever, or adjust a screw on the remote lever to pull the cable tighter?
 

sti1471

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

OK, so I just realized something that I am not sure if it changes this up or not.

My out drive in a MC-1 not a alpha one. When I was reading that manual #6, it says that if I have a prop shaft that has a o-ring groove, and a little "rounded pin" mounted to the top it was an MC-1. But since my boat is a 1984, I was told it was an alpha one. So since it is an MC-1, does this change anything with adjusting the shift cables, or positions of the shift shafts?
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

... So since it is an MC-1, does this change anything with adjusting the shift cables, or positions of the shift shafts?

Not a thing. The setup for both is the same, and how they work internally is the same.

There is no adjustment inside the control box. If your cable has too much slop there are two alternatives, replace it or replace it.
 

Pete104

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Man, has achris been patient with this guy.
I just had an observation in sti1471 pics. All your pivot points at the "shift bracket" are to have minimal slop. Like none, just free attatchment. The 1 pic with the cable in left hand. When mounted on shift lever @ shift plate, that hole looks REAL big for what is supposed to be happening. The tele-flex remote cable shouldn't be the problem. The Merc (intermediate) shift cable looks like someone put it together without the spacer. But, I can't find anything to back me up.
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Sti, I used some aluminum tape (the kind used to seal a/c duct work) to take a significant amount of play out of the shift plate pivot points. I just cut it into strips and by trial and error wrapped it around the clevis pin for the upper and the stud for the lower cable until the slop was gone. I also put a wrap around the lower barrel to tighten it up. My drive is shifting fine in the driveway on muffs, but I'll bet it won't work on the water. I've got 11/16" in-and-out play on my lower shift cable, so I've got some more work to do I know.

Good luck with yours.
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Sti, just letting you know that the aluminum foil trick removed enough slop to make my drive shift okay now. Went out on the water this evening and it performed predictably and correctly, but not perfectly. I need to deal with the 11/16 inch slop in my lower cable this winter.
 

sti1471

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Nate,

Can you post pictures of your tape trick? I am having a hard time understanding exactly what you are referring to.

I have not updated in a while since I have not had any time to work on the issue. but as soon as i get some free time I will do a full measurments and all and report back with my finding. however if I understand 9/16" right, that is almost 0.5 inches correct?
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Nate,

Can you post pictures of your tape trick? I am having a hard time understanding exactly what you are referring to.

I have not updated in a while since I have not had any time to work on the issue. but as soon as i get some free time I will do a full measurments and all and report back with my finding. however if I understand 9/16" right, that is almost 0.5 inches correct?

Will do on the pictures.

9/16" is 0.5625"
 

sti1471

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

thank you a appreciate it greatly.

yeah when I measured the distence of slop in the cable, I am pretty sure it was not more than 1/2" as I think I said a few posts back it was around 1/4" slop. But when I get some time I will do it again and post the results here. This has been killing me, since all the measurments seem to be fine but it is still not working.

After I installed the shift shaft, when i turn the lower shift shaft by hand, I thought I read somewhere i needed to hear a click when turning it with pliers and this click is when it sets or something. Is this the case? when i installed my shift shaft, I turned the shaft until it slide into the shift crank, and then I put on the hardware and bushing. I can turn the shift shaft by hand from forward to nea, to reverse, but I never heard a click of any kind.
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

Is there a way to remove cable slop at the back of the remote lever, or adjust a screw on the remote lever to pull the cable tighter?

Don't think so. I just had mine apart for a rebuild and there was nothing like that.
 

natemoore

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Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

thank you a appreciate it greatly.

yeah when I measured the distence of slop in the cable, I am pretty sure it was not more than 1/2" as I think I said a few posts back it was around 1/4" slop. But when I get some time I will do it again and post the results here. This has been killing me, since all the measurments seem to be fine but it is still not working.

After I installed the shift shaft, when i turn the lower shift shaft by hand, I thought I read somewhere i needed to hear a click when turning it with pliers and this click is when it sets or something. Is this the case? when i installed my shift shaft, I turned the shaft until it slide into the shift crank, and then I put on the hardware and bushing. I can turn the shift shaft by hand from forward to nea, to reverse, but I never heard a click of any kind.

When you push in the lower shift cable while turning the prop CCW, continue pushing in the cable until it's limit of travel is reached. That's the first mark. After bungee-ing the prop in CCW position (careful not to injure your forehead), pull out the cable and make second mark. That is your slop that should be less than 9/16".

Don't know about the click.
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

.....After I installed the shift shaft, when i turn the lower shift shaft by hand, I thought I read somewhere i needed to hear a click when turning it with pliers and this click is when it sets or something. Is this the case? when i installed my shift shaft, I turned the shaft until it slide into the shift crank, and then I put on the hardware and bushing. I can turn the shift shaft by hand from forward to nea, to reverse, but I never heard a click of any kind.

That's for Merc outboards. The shift cam (outboards use a cam, sterndrives use a crank) is notched and the pin clicks into and out of each gear. No clicking on stern drives....
 

fishrdan

Admiral
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Jan 25, 2008
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6,989
Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

I didn't read through the whole thread, only picked up MC1 and shift cable slop. On my 72 MC1 the shift plate anchor pins were much smaller than modern cables, made adjusting F&R a nightmare, too much slop. (You're going to love this solution)

To remove the slop I cut a section of Bic pen to fill in the gap between the cable and anchor pin. (Cheapie $.10 Bic pen I had rolling around in my tool box :D) It was just the right amount of shim material to take away the slop, yet allow the cable not to bind on the pin.

Hope this is what you were after,,, as I was too lazy to read through the entire thread.... :facepalm:
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
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27,468
Re: alpha 1 shift cable adjustment.. help

I have just checked, the anchor pins haven't change diameter, just the early one had a thread and nut on the end and the latest ones have a split pin. Same with the GENUINE shift cable, the cable guide on the end has had the same part number since the late 60s.. Maybe some of the after market cables have bigger holes. If that's the case I would find a piece of stainless steel tubing to use as a bushing... Or order the genuine guide from Merc, they are only about $13 and if it stops all this faphing about it will be worth it....

Interesting.. I just did a search on lower shift cables. The cheapest aftermarket one was $72. The Genuine from Merc is ...... $70..... How 'bout that!!!
 
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