1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

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I am replacing the shift cable from the engine to the outdrive due to hard shifting. I've allready removed the outdrive and the old cable, the old cable has an extreme permanent curve in it where it goes through the sleeve and is burnt. I was wondering if this is normal for the sleeve to have these tight bends in it and to be so close to the exhaust pipe, it almost looks like the sleeve is slightly pinched between the exhaust pipe and something else. Was the sleeve installed incorectly?
From the rear of the boat looking at the outdrive the cable sleeve goes straight in about four inches then makes a sharp turn down about six inches and then back up, this is where its pinched between the exhaust pipe.

I cant even install the new cable with sleeve in the position its in now.

Thanks for any help.
 

sethjon

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Its hard to actually visualize but it sounds about right, but I think the adjustment is incorrect. If thats the case readjust and you will see a big difference. Also realize that the 91 Cobra is a little hard to shift simply due to the design.
 
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Which adjustment are you talking about?
I dont have the new cable installed yet, I cant feed it through the sleeve due to the tight bends in the sleeve. Is there a trick to feeding it through?
 

bruceb58

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Also realize that the 91 Cobra is a little hard to shift simply due to the design.
Totally not true. When I had my Cobra with a good control and good cable, it shifted easily.
 

bruceb58

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Which adjustment are you talking about?
I dont have the new cable installed yet, I cant feed it through the sleeve due to the tight bends in the sleeve. Is there a trick to feeding it through?
Ignore him. He doesn't have a clue since he has never changed the cable.

Lots of dish washing liquid in there will make it slide through easier.
 
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

I tryed the dish washing liquid with no luck. I took a closer look at the shift cable sleeve inside the boat behind the engine and confirmed the sleeve is pinched to about half the normal inside diameter, pinched between the lower part of the exhaust pipe and the engine flywheel housing. There is a piece of rubber tubing(OMC P/N 3852832 ) keeping me from pulling the sleeve out of the pinch, is this just a breather tube?
I seems like I just need to reposition the sleeve but cant budge it. How is this sleeve replaced, my manual says to just disconnect the sleeve at the transom mount and install a new one, but dosent explain how to get to it. I can post pics of the pinch later if needed.

Thanks
Ben
 

bruceb58

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Not sure what that hose is.

How hard was getting the old cable out? Unfortunately getting that shift hose(sleeve) out would be a huge problem which likely would involve pulling the engine.

I do know that getting that cable through there can be a bit of a problem. I know I struggled with it at times. I have done 3 of those lower shift cables although it has been over 10 years now.

You are just putting the bare cable and housing in right? Not having that black spiral wrap that used to go around it.
 
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

The old cable was very hard getting out , i pulled the outdrive end of the cable off pulling so hard.
Im trying to feed the outer cable housing only, not reinstalling the black wire loom.

Also something I thought of, after the cable is installed how do you thread the cable into the pivot housing? Do you rotate the cable inside the sleeve or rotate the pivot housing?

Im gonna try to work the sleeve out of the pinch, I will post updates.

Thanks
 

sea wolf

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

The old cable was very hard getting out , i pulled the outdrive end of the cable off pulling so hard.
Im trying to feed the outer cable housing only, not reinstalling the black wire loom.

Also something I thought of, after the cable is installed how do you thread the cable into the pivot housing? Do you rotate the cable inside the sleeve or rotate the pivot housing?

Im gonna try to work the sleeve out of the pinch, I will post updates.

Thanks
You rotate the pivot housing. If u try to twist the cable on it will want to reverse itself, making it impossible to thread the cable nut onto the pivot housing.
 

Lou C

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Totally not true. When I had my Cobra with a good control and good cable, it shifted easily.

Agreed, with a good cable in proper adjustment, good control, proper idle (500-600 in gear in the water in gear) the Cobra shifts very well.
Shifts with 2 fingers in and out of gear.

Can you loosen and slide the rubber exhaust hoses down the Y pipe to give yourself more room? I found the raw water intake hose pinched against the rubber exhaust hose on the starboard side when I changed my manifolds last spring. I found that loosening the clamps and spraying some silicone spray up in the joint between the riser and hose and between the Y pipe and hose helped to loosen it so I could slide it down. That might allow you to relax the bend in the shift cable tube. I bet if you slide that hose down first and remove the exhaust manifold on that side (easy because they used nice studs and nuts that don't rust) you will have much more access.

I don't want to jinx myself, but I've had this boat 9 years, the cable wasn't new when I got it, but I took it to the best OMC shop around and they set it up for me (said the cable was fine then). All I have had to do, was clean out the area behind the bellcrank, grease up the shift linkage and keep the idle nice n low. One thing though is I store the boat with the drive down, so the cable is not bent up where it comes out of the pivot housing, maybe that helped, but that cable is at least 10 years old, salt water use too.
 

sethjon

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Thanks for the support Bruce, but you are wrong. I changed one about 3 weeks ago and as you said the soap worked wonders. As far as hard shifting goes it is a little due to the design and if you don't think so you should try shifting some of the new stuff around.
 

sea wolf

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Thanks for the support Bruce, but you are wrong. I changed one about 3 weeks ago and as you said the soap worked wonders. As far as hard shifting goes it is a little due to the design and if you don't think so you should try shifting some of the new stuff around.
I've never heard of a Cobra shifting hard if the cable is adjusted correctly. The design of the Cobra has nothing to do with it.
 

bruceb58

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Thanks for the support Bruce, but you are wrong. I changed one about 3 weeks ago and as you said the soap worked wonders. As far as hard shifting goes it is a little due to the design and if you don't think so you should try shifting some of the new stuff around.
I have had OMC Stringers and Cobras, Volvo 270 and DuoProp and Mercruiser. I have a Volvo DuoProp now with a cone clutch. The Cobra when it operates properly was VERY easy to shift. I am saying this and a number of other people on here are saying this. Are we all imagining this phenomenon? What do you mean by new stuff? Does a Volvo DuoProp count?

If yours doesn't shift properly, then its probably something you haven't fixed yet, which somehow doesn't surprise me at all. Juudging from your past posts working on your own OMC Cobra where you couldn't even get the drive on, it puzzles me when you come up with some of the statements you do.
 
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Can you loosen and slide the rubber exhaust hoses down the Y pipe to give yourself more room? I found the raw water intake hose pinched against the rubber exhaust hose on the starboard side when I changed my manifolds last spring. I found that loosening the clamps and spraying some silicone spray up in the joint between the riser and hose and between the Y pipe and hose helped to loosen it so I could slide it down. That might allow you to relax the bend in the shift cable tube. I bet if you slide that hose down first and remove the exhaust manifold on that side (easy because they used nice studs and nuts that don't rust) you will have much more access.

I don't want to jinx myself, but I've had this boat 9 years, the cable wasn't new when I got it, but I took it to the best OMC shop around and they set it up for me (said the cable was fine then). All I have had to do, was clean out the area behind the bellcrank, grease up the shift linkage and keep the idle nice n low. One thing though is I store the boat with the drive down, so the cable is not bent up where it comes out of the pivot housing, maybe that helped, but that cable is at least 10 years old, salt water use too.

Thanks Lou I will try this next.
When I loosen and slide the rubber exhaust hose down the "Y" pipe will that allow the "Y" pipe to move any or is it bolted somwhere else? If I could get the "Y" pipe to move back an inch or so that would probably let me pull the sleeve out of the pinch.
 

bruceb58

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

Nope. Can't move the Y-pipe.
 
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

I finally got the cable sleeve removed from the pinch, I just had to remove a rubber vent tube and heat the sleeve up a little to soften the rubber.
The new cable installed very easily, all adjustments have been made to the outdrive end of the cable, I wasnt sure about this statment in the adjustment procedure, Why does it say to leave the collared retainer nut off?

" C. Perform the transom bracket shift cable adjustment. Use only the 914017 alignment plate to hold the bellcrank at the 90 degree position. Always use the new 915271-M tool to hold the 7 9/16" dimension. "PW" (1990) and newer models may have a collared retainer nut on the aft end of the shift cable core wire, leave it off! "
 
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Messages
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

I finally got the cable sleeve removed from the pinch, I just had to remove a rubber vent tube and heat the sleeve up a little to soften the rubber.
The new cable installed very easily, all adjustments have been made to the outdrive end of the cable, I wasnt sure about this statment in the adjustment procedure, Why does it say to leave the collared retainer nut off?

" C. Perform the transom bracket shift cable adjustment. Use only the 914017 alignment plate to hold the bellcrank at the 90 degree position. Always use the new 915271-M tool to hold the 7 9/16" dimension. "PW" (1990) and newer models may have a collared retainer nut on the aft end of the shift cable core wire, leave it off! "
 

sethjon

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

I changed one in August and had no trouble feeding it through. It does however shift a little hard. I don't mean you need 2 hands but my Merc shifts a lot easier.
 

sethjon

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

You're right but I never took my boat to a shop. Maybe I'm just explaining myself correctly. By the way, I did get the OD back on although I still can't figure out why the last inch was so difficult. When inserting the aligmnent rod it went in like butter.
 

sam60

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Re: 1991 omc cobra 4.3 Replacing Shift Cable

WOW! Too much coffee everyone? :rolleyes:
 
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