alpha gen 2 not locking into gear

[MikeDobbs]

Hey Everyone-

So, I just finished a bellows rebuild and water pump service on my alpha gen 2. When reassembling the drive I was very careful to keep the little shift lever thing in the forward position (as well as the throttle and shift cable from the boat side). I held the prop to lock the shift lever in place, and put the leg on the boat. After the leg is fully mated with the bell housing, the propeller is STILL fully locked- so I know I am not allowing the shift lever to move.

BUT, when I let go of the prop, it falls into neutral. The prop spins either way freely regardless of where I place the shift lever in the cockpit. So, what's going on here? The only thing I can think of is that on the bellhousing side- when I was doing the bellows I removed the shift pin thing to clean it and grease everything. Is it possible I pushed it up too far before tightening the set screw?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Bt Doctur]

when I was doing the bellows I removed the shift pin thing to clean it and grease everything. Is it possible I pushed it up too far before tightening the set screw?

could we get a better definition of what you removed ?

 

[MikeDobbs]

No Title

Well, all of those things pictured above, but what I was referring to is the upper shift shaft (the tube that is vertically placed in the bell housing and interacts with the shift cable end at the top, and mates with the shift lever in the lower unit at the bottom. The vertical piece in the second picture.

Here's a picture of the piece I'm talking about:

 

[Bt Doctur]

http://vid57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/BtDoctur/DSCN2491_zpsea1cc235.mp4

 

[MikeDobbs]

OK yes- I understand everything in that video. All parts move as they should- moving the shift cable rotates the shoe to the appropriate positions, and F/N/R work on the outdrive when I move the lever manually before install, but when assembled I only have neutral. It seems as though the "shoe" is too high, and not making contact with the lever in the outdrive that is supposed to mate with the shoe...

 

[Bt Doctur]

try to post some pics using photobucket.com .its free. wondering if you actually have a gen II. the I pic is of a gen II shaft .if its moves as shown in the video everythings connected. once coupled together it just dosent drop into neutral unless its not in the shift slide correctly. the shaft can only go in so far. once the arm is connected with the steel screw to the shaft

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[alldodge]

This is a Gen 1 but note the two pieces go together

You can also upload picks from your computer

 

[MikeDobbs]

Here's a video of the latest attempt. I can get it to click into forward now, but no reverse, no matter how far I advance the shift cable.

 

[MikeDobbs]

Here's a video of what I suspect the problem is. This is the lower unit- and you're looking at where the shaft that controls the shifting comes up. There's some vertical play in there, which I'm thinking is causing it to not fully engage with the shoe in the bell housing? What do you think?

 

[MikeDobbs]

Also, definitely gen 2- Drive #0L141402

 

[Bt Doctur]

the shoe is backwards see post 7

 

[MikeDobbs]

Ahhhhhh! Oh man, that's embarrassing

OK, so I reversed the shoe and put the leg back on. I seem to have engagement, but I can't get it to shift properly in and out of gear. I will watch some of the videos on adjusting the shift cables and post back an update

Thanks so much Bt Doctur!

 

[jbcurt00]

Mike,
Can you tell me what kind of computer, operating system and browser you used when you created this topic?

BT noticed that the list of refent topics doesnt show the most recent post to this topic, so it migjt appear that there have been none, or at least fewer replies to your topic.

It IS on the right order of time stamps, your post above at 1137a appears between other topics that got poasts at 1135 and 1137a, so it is updating to the correct location in order of time stamped posts. It just doesnt reflect that om the right side of the screen w who replied and what time a post was made.

Thanks,
John

If youd rather not clutter up your topic, send the info to me in a Private Message..

 

[MikeDobbs]

John- I'm on a MacBook Pro - OS 10.10.1 Yosemite on Chrome Browser

 

[MikeDobbs]

OK- so I turned the shoe around and it seems like the cable and the drive are speaking to each other now, but I can't get the shifting to work right. I followed the instructions in the videos (6 inches barrel to end, etc) but I don't get anything to work right. Even disconnected and working the shift cable manually, I can't seem to get into forward or reverse. I went down and eyeballed the shoe and lever, and they are fully mated, and the cable turns the shoe as it should, but it does not appear to turn it fully forward. This would explain the lack of forward gear. I also have very little travel in the shift cable- only about 1 1/4 inches as you can see in the attached video. I'm really not sure how to proceed- is there something wrong in the outdrive that is possible binding up the cable preventing full travel?

 

[Bt Doctur]

OK, first screw the threaded shaft into the cable all the way and snug down the nut. push the black slide in all the way while someone turns the prop CCW until it locks. this is full fwd. Put the control box in full fwd, attach the black plastic part to the stud first, then adjust the brass barrel to fit and insert the cotter pin,
start motor and test the shifting, if good, spread the cotter pin a bit

 

[MikeDobbs]

OK- so your saying to set up first gear and test the shifting with the engine running? I didn't realize I could do that. I will try it and post back

 

[Bt Doctur]

there is a specific procedure to take measurements but your not doing it right. its spelled out in the merc manual . when shifted into fwd gear the 6 inches is measured from the hole in the plastic slide to the center of the brass barrel.

 

[MikeDobbs]

there is a specific procedure to take measurements but your not doing it right. its spelled out in the merc manual . when shifted into fwd gear the 6 inches is measured from the hole in the plastic slide to the center of the brass barrel.

I did follow the specific procedure for setting up the cables in the manual. The video you see with my tape measure is not me setting up the cable, just me trying to show how much travel the cable has (as I was concerned it may not be enough travel).

I followed the procedure measuring 6inches from brass barrel to center of hole on plastic end piece, but was unsuccessful getting everything to work following the rest of the procedure in the manual. I am new at all this so it's possible I just don't understand what it should feel like. When the boat is in gear (say forward), should the propeller lock in one direction and spin completely freely in the other? Or should it ratchet in the direction it doesn't lock? If so, how much pressure should it take to get it to ratchet? It seems that in forward gear, the prop locks counterclockwise, but takes a fair amount of force to get it to ratchet clockwise (not just a light, one finger push). Is this how it should be or a problem?

I've been doing OK so far, but this shift thing is giving me a fair amount of trouble...