Re: Shift cable adjustment
Warren, This is long, but don't know how else to tell you the story.<br /><br />After talking with you yesterday, I became curious as to why Merc no longer adjusted the cables at the engine. Mine is an '02 and I remember linkages back to the '50's that were adjustable there, at the engine.<br /><br />(I just recently bought this engine and based my comment on a quick look at the engine connections several weeks ago. My last engine was an '89 and I just thought things changed.)<br /><br />WELL, I LIED!<br /><br />I took a closer look yesterday and as a matter of fact, dismantled both cables at the engine and worked through the throttle and shift process to insure that I understood it.<br /><br />The adjustment is as it has always been with a threaded shaft and a threaded cylinder; the position of the cylinder, up and down the shaft) determines the alignment. Additionally I got my service manual out and spent an hour with the thing.<br /><br />On my engine, everything is controlled by it (the engine). All the remote control/cables do is move things in the engine....by that I mean the control and cables can move much farther than the engine allows.<br /><br />The only thing the remote control, controls, is the N detent (lock) for safety. Once you squeeze the handle and move the lever out of N, the engine is in charge.<br /><br />So, the correct alignment is to put the remote in N and wiggle it back and forth to get it centered.<br /><br />Go to the engine and DISCONNECT THE CABLES. (The throttle cable is physically mounted over the shifter so you have to get it out of the way.)<br /><br />Get a measuring device of some sort (ruler, scale, tape).<br /><br />Manually set the shift slide to the N position and center it (slide back and forth slightly to find the center of the "slop"). Measure the distance from the threaded stud on this slide (that you took the cable end off) to the center-line of hole that the cable's movable cylinder (also on the cable) slides into (came out of). <br /><br />Mine measured 6 7/8 inches. <br /><br /><br />Then grasp the shift slide and very slowly move it forward while rotating the prop with the other hand. This thing is spring loaded so you have to hold it to get the measurement.<br /><br /><br />As soon as you feel/hear anything from the lower unit stop moving and again measure from the stud to the cylinder attachment point. <br /><br />Mine measured 6 1/4 inches.<br /><br />Repeat for reverse. Put the stud back at the original position (6 7/8 for me) and go the other direction, while rotating the prop and feeling for contact. Measure the distance.<br /><br />Mine was 7 5/8 inches.<br /><br />I then took the two numbers, and found the average which was 6 15/16 for the N centered position.<br /><br />I rotated the cylinder on the shaft and after the correct dimension was obtained, I re-installed the shift cable back on the engine (remote control is still in the N lock position).<br /><br />Then I went to the remote and put it in F and then in R (be careful going into R and slowly spin the prop till it falls in...Reverse doesn't have the slip clutch F has and you can damage your shifter if you try to force it. You have to line up the gears to get them to mesh....manually).<br /><br />I measured both positions back at the engine where I had made the previous measurements.<br /><br />In both cases my measurements were 3/4 inch farther than the minimum contact point indicating that the shifter was centered, and the engine had plenty of travel to fully engage both F and R gears.<br /><br />Phew.<br /><br />HTH. Again, my apologies for the bogus info.<br /><br />Mark
