Alpha One Counter rotating shift cable adjustment start from Forward or Reverse

jhoran1046

Recruit
Joined
Mar 14, 2015
Messages
3
I am trying to get the shift cable adjusted on one of my mercruiser alpha one drives. It is the port side counter rotating drive that I am having an issue with. I can not get the adjustment correct it either stall out going into forward or reverse. Since this is a counter rotating drive should I start off the adjustment procedure with the drive in reverse instead of forward? I have the factory manual and I have tried the instructions from here http://www.mercstuff.com/images/shiftcable.jpg. None of the directions mention altering the procedure for counter rotating drive however when I installed the drive I did have to put it into reverse instead of forward to install it.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,465
Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... Have ya just changed the lower shift cable,..??

I ask, 'cause the stallin' out is indicative of a failed stickin' lower shift cable, not adjustments,....
 

jhoran1046

Recruit
Joined
Mar 14, 2015
Messages
3
I purchased the boat in October from an owner who had replaced the bellows, gimbals, shift cables and out drives. When I inspected the boat in the water everything was shifting fine. On delivery of the boat( it was driven for about two hours to get it to my marina) the port side drive seized, the engine would not start or shift. It was totally locked up. After pulling the boat out of the water it was found that there was no oil in the port side drive the person who installed it obviously missed this key step in the install. The port side drive with less than 10 hours on it was ruined. The owner honoured the original condition of purchase and had the port side drive replaced.

The boat seemed to be shifting fine. But it started stalling while going into reverse. It goes into reverse okay but then stalls out when the shifter is moved into the full reverse position. The boat has a Teleflex 311122-460 Morse MY 4LV controls and F-N-R each have their own position that it clicks into so you can feel that it is in the correct position. I had someone else shift the engine into reverse while I watched the shift linkage and when it goes to into the full reverse position it seems like it has to much travel and the shift interrupt switch gets triggered.

I tried to adjust the shift linkage in hopes of taking out the extra travel. I have adjusted it to specifications and it still does not fix the issue. My thinking was that since it was counter rotating the adjustment procedure may need to start from the reverse position instead of the forward position. Does it need to start in reverse?

It is easy to stretch the shifter cables? Before it was pulled out of the water a technician came to look at it and he was pulling very hard on the shifter trying to get it out of gear.

Replacing the shift cable to lower is going to be my last and final option since it is very costly to pull the boat out.and have it blocked.
 

Fun Times

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Staff member
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
8,776
Hi there, welcome to iboats!:)

Is your drive an alpha 1 or alpha 1 Gen 2? What year is the drive?

Yes there is a difference in what direction you shift for checking/adjusting shifting and what procedure you're doing. It's best to follow the manual in this case to help lower confusion. Below are some sections to study depending on your drive model before going at it again.
Hope this helps, good luck.:)

Alpha 1.
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser6.html#/32
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser6.html#/392

A-1 Gen 2,
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser14.html#/68
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser14.html#/94
 
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