omc out of gear

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pappi84

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Sep 25, 2007
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I recently bought a 1982 renken boat with a 5.7 engine and a omc outdrive. I cant seem to get it to come out of gear it is stuck. I pulled the shifter cable off and it has to cables inside and neither one will move. Does the outboard need to be down or am i just missing something simple.

Thanks
 
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Brijoe00

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Re: omc out of gear

First you need to let everyone know on here what type of outdrive you have. Is it an OMC stringer 800?? or Cobra??

I would say yes, your outdrive needs to be down. if you outdrive is up, the cable may have to much of a bend in it to allow the wires to move freely. I am not clear as to why you would want to run it with the outdrive up anyway?
 
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whywhyzed

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Re: omc out of gear

Brijoe00 said:
OMC stringer 800
Click to expand...
1982, so it's that one.

If the cables won't move in the casing, then yeah, there's a problem in the lower unit.

That said, it sure wouldn't hurt to try to get some penetrating oil down the 2 cableways in the housing.

PB Blaster or Deep Creep

Under what circumstances did it stop working??
 
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pappi84

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Re: omc out of gear

I bought the boat and it had been sitting for about 2 years and it need to re-wire everything I was just trying to get it out of gear. I wanted to get the engine running. I think it is a 800 series
 
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whywhyzed

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Re: omc out of gear

oh, well drain the lower unit - probably full of water, dirt and rusted scrap metal
 
wire2

wire2

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Re: omc out of gear

If you can work some lubricant into the shift cables and free them, it will save a lot of time and $.

If it doesn't work from inside the boat, I'd pull the outdrive.

Undo the wires from the shift converter at the back of the engine, pay attention to how they run in there. Put a bit of grease on the black cable at the mid drive.

Raise the outdrive to remove a clip on the black cable where it exits from the mid drive.
Remove the trunnion caps from each side, pop the black rubber bumpers from the tilt trunnions and undo the 4 bolts. Hold the drive as you remove the last bolt.

Now just lift it off the tilt gear and pull back to slide the shift cable out of the mid drive. (Can you tell I've done it many times?)

At this point you can place the outdrive with prop facing the ground and fasten the shift cable vertically to a step ladder. Now PB Blaster or other will seep down.

The wires need to move ~4" freely to effect a F-R shift.

If it still won't free up, you had to pull the outdrive to replace the cable anyway. That's a fun job too.
 
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Manipulator

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Re: omc out of gear

Put the drive all the way down and then try to move your cables again. On a stringer the drive is up for trailering and thats it, all other times it needs to be down completely and never run with drive up or tilted. If you are doing this with the drive up, the cable is probably kinked where it goes through a notch/hole in the upper housing.
 
wire2

wire2

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Re: omc out of gear

Manipulator said:
Put the drive all the way down and then try to move your cables again. On a stringer the drive is up for trailering and thats it, all other times it needs to be down completely and never run with drive up or tilted. If you are doing this with the drive up, the cable is probably kinked where it goes through a notch/hole in the upper housing.
Click to expand...

That's a thought but actually, the cable is straighter with the drive up.
It exits the mid drive horizontally, then gently turns a 90? down in running position. With the drive up it continues horizontally until past the exhaust housing.
 
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Manipulator

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Re: omc out of gear

I see what you are saying. On my 800 with the tilt up it looks like it is a little kinked as it goes through the hole in the upper. I don't know if gravity plays a role here as the drive is now vertical. It would seem that this would work against trying to move the dog clutch out of place. Like Brijoe00, I don't see the point of attemping to engage or disengage the prop with the drive up.
 
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pappi84

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Re: omc out of gear

okay I wired the trim and lowered the unit and sprayed down the cable. Still wont come out of gear the prop will turn one way but not the other. Is there anything I should replace in the drive before I take it out on the water, and anything wrong with the 800 omc drive. everyone at work has a merc.
 
wire2

wire2

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Re: omc out of gear

If you're going to try it on the water like that, keep in mind, you'll have to bypass the neutral safety switch to start it.
And that it will take off forward instantly.

No, there's nothing wrong with an 800. I've had one since '84, am now changing to Merc only b/c I want something newer.
 
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pappi84

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Re: omc out of gear

I dont plan on taking it out like that. So should i pull the drive
 
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whywhyzed

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Re: omc out of gear

drain the lower unit - probably full of water, dirt and rusted scrap metal

echo
echo
 
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Brijoe00

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Re: omc out of gear

I just got done redoing the gears and clutch dog in my 800 and I have learned alot through the process. Ill tell you what I would do

Put the drive down, disconect cable from converter and try shifting through by hand. If its still hard to shift you need to pull the drive. After drive is off pull the upper from the lower. On the lower unit the shift cable connects to the shift housing, pull that off there. After its off, try pulling on the cables and see if they are easier to pull. If it is than you have have a problem in the lower somewhere, if it isnt any easier, you probably need a new cable.
 
wire2

wire2

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Re: omc out of gear

Brijoe00 said:
.... the shift housing, pull that off there. After its off, try pulling on the cables and see if they are easier to pull. If it is than you have have a problem in the lower somewhere, if it isnt any easier, you probably need a new cable.
Click to expand...

Did you mean that the other way around?
e.g. if it IS easier, it's the cable, if it's STILL hard it's the lower.
 
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Brijoe00

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Re: omc out of gear

Hmm well....I dont know lol. My thinking was if you unbolt the housing from the lower, lift it off the shift rack, then if you are able to move the wires easier, then the problem may be from the shift rack down into the gears. Like I said Im no mechanic but I thought I would take a stab at it.
 
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whywhyzed

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Re: omc out of gear

Brijoe00 said:
Hmm well....I dont know lol. My thinking was if you unbolt the housing from the lower, lift it off the shift rack, then if you are able to move the wires easier, then the problem may be from the shift rack down into the gears. Like I said Im no mechanic but I thought I would take a stab at it.
Click to expand...
You've been in deeper than most of us - so, yes, you are a mechanic whether you like it or not..(OMC's mantra) in fact you might be the resident expert on hydromechanical shift units...haha
 
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pappi84

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Re: omc out of gear

okay drain the oil it not look that bad. I got feed up with messing around and pulled the unit off and split the upper and lower unit. found the cables and the piece that ingauges the drive not sure what its call but the cables run into it. Pulled it apart and looks like the cables are fine but the part they run into and loop around is frozen did my best to clean it and get it to move more freely but it still wants to bind alittle any idea what its called and where i can find one?

thanks
 
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Brijoe00

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Re: omc out of gear

Are you talking about the box looking thing with the pullys and wheels attached to the end of the cable? That is called the shift housing. I had to replace my cable, and I found you need a special tool to get the cable out of there, I ended up buying a cable with the housing allready attached. But maybe you can get it apart. You might be able to find one of those here.

http://www.sterndrive.info/index.html

or here

https://www.dougrussell.com/Checkout/index.cfm?fuseaction=SendOrder

call them if you dont see it listed on the website.
 
Boomyal

Boomyal

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Re: omc out of gear

If it the 'box' inside the transom, it is the shift converter. It's hard to imagine it being gummed up or if so that it cannot be cleaned and freed up. If you have to get another one, make sure it is the right one. Hydro Mechs used one type, full Mechs used another. I believe the full mechanical shift converter has the esa switches on the outside of it.

They show up on ebay all the time.
 
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