[bigmacfan]

I have a 2002 Sea Ray 176BR with a 3.0 Mercury engine. The engine has 53 hours on it. I have always thought it was cold natured because it has to warm up a long time on the trailer or it will die when putting into reverse. However, after doing some reading.....is this the shift cable that needs replacing? Why would warming up for a few minutes help this? Is it just coincidence that warming up keeps it from dying?

Also, I noticed for the first time this weekend that it is sometimes hard to shift from reverse to neutral. I was in reverse and going very slowly and shifted into neutral, but it stayed in reverse. I messed with it for a bit and got it into neutral. I think it did it once more as well.

Are these two issues related or separate?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Don S]

Have you checked to see if it dies going into forward also? Does the engine shake and idle real rough when cold? Does it diesel when you shut it off? Is it hard to start?

[bigmacfan]

It is not hard to start at all.

I don't know if it does it shifting into forward. Its always done it getting off the trailer, so I've only tried reverse. I can try forward the next time I take it out.

It does not idle rough and shake when cold. It idles smoothly and nothing seems odd until you shift into reverse and try to back off the trailer. However, letting it warm up a LONG time does help.

It has never died when shifting in reverse at any other time other than backing off the trailer.

This is my first I/O engine....I was a jet drive engine person before this, so this is all new to me. Is this the shifter cable? I hope not with so few hours on the engine........that's expensive, huh?

[Don S]

Has it been acting like that since you changed the lower shift cable? Did you adjust it per the Merc service manual (Not Clymers, Selocs, or how you thought it should be.)
Here is a link to the proper way to adjust it. (OEM manual)
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14a2.pdf

Here is a link to the full manual should you need it.
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14notice.pdf

[bigmacfan]

I've never changed the lower shift cable.

I purchased this boat last August with 19 hours on it and it has done it the whole time I've had it, but it is worse the past few times out than it had been before.

[Don S]

Must be confusing your post with another, thought you had changed the cable. Oh Well..... anyway, Forget the hour meter reading, it has been in the water and for all anyone knows, it may have been salt water.
It's also 5 years old. Way overdue for having the drive pulled where you can inspect the shift cables movement, the shift shafts and other things. You are also overdue for an engine alignment check, new impeller.
Pulling the drive is a 10 minute job if you take your time. You will need a new gasket kit to put it back on, but you need to pull it and check some things.

[bigmacfan]

I had to go to the dealer to pick up some drive lube and power steering fluid yesterday, so I talked to them while I was there about this issue. The fellow there said he thought it was likely a choke adjustment that was off. Does this make sense? I asked him about the shift cable thing and he thought the boat was too new to have this happen.

The history of the boat is known. It has never been in salt water. I live in the midwest and I know the lake that the boat was on before I got it. I use the same lake now. I'm in a suburb of St. Louis and the area is pretty small, so the history is known. You are right, though, sometimes the history is hard to tell and it can make a huge difference.

I guess I'm just holding out hope that a boat with so few hours on the engine wouldn't be having an expensive problem

[Don S]

Also, I noticed for the first time this weekend that it is sometimes hard to shift from reverse to neutral. I was in reverse and going very slowly and shifted into neutral, but it stayed in reverse.

I can't see a choke doing the above. While it does seem odd that the shift cable is bad, it's still going to require you or someone pulling the drive and actually inspecting some things in order to locate the problem.

[texsun]

When mine did this I was able to spray some silicone Lube in the back of the shift/throttle control and that improved it quiet a bit. Took the silicone to the lake with me and with outdrive down and motor OFF, pulled the shifter into full reverse and sprayed it pretty good. It solved the issue. That was over a yr ago. My thought is that those cables get stiff over time and if you seldom use reverse it can get a little sticky. I use reverse at least a couple of times everytime I go out just to make sure. It doesn't cost much to give it a try.

Hope it helps!