lower end sift

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gholems

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
34
Hello all,

Have aquestion:

I have a mercruiser 4.3l 1988 sea ray. had outdrive off to replace shift cable and impeller. While reinstalling lower end I put the shift nob all the way counter clock wise. the I slipped on the top gear house and put the gear shift nob to center so the tube was pointing striaght as in forward. Is that correct? Because I am having a hell of a time adjusting my new shift cable. I do the 6 in shift cable while in forward and lock prop. Then I match up other control cable and then rotate the barrel 4 times counter. But the prop ratchets very firm and reverse lightly. The engine cut off switch engages while in reverse or forwar.
I know this is alot but this is where I am. Just want to make sure the lower end is right on the shift tube.


Regards
Glen Green
 
Bt Doctur

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,111
Re: lower end sift

Control box in full fwd
splined shaft in lower unit fully clockwise
insert lower making sure shoes line up (Shoes are in a straight line for fwd)
install bolts/nuts.
refill with oil
 
G

gholems

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
34
Re: lower end sift

Hello,

Ok that is what i did. So why am I having trouble with shift cable? When I adjust it:

Push shift cable in lock prop
mesure shift cable 6 in and place on shift assembly
adjust remote control arm to match holes then turn barrel 4 times clock wise towards cable end.
place on assembly.

But the kill switch still out out of place. Shift cable is new and moves freely. the cable prev worked besides being warn out and bad bellow on back.

Any ideas?

Regards
Glen
 
ziggy

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
Re: lower end sift

in the book, the first four steps are for R&Ring the drive shift cable. only these 4 steps. if you had your remote cable loose (which isn't necessary to R&R the drive cable) and adj. it. then, i think you'll need to follow exactly the next 9 or 11 steps (however many there are) to get the remote cable set proper... it took me reading that part of the book quite a while to fig. out that only the first 4 steps applied to the lower cable and that the rest of the steps involved the remote cable... i've not adj. the remote cable on mine, but i'd read them and do them a sentence at a time... they look very specific about what mercruiser wants ya to do...
 
A

anon1

Seaman
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
71
Re: lower end sift

I didn't see if you said what drive it is. That engine/year it sounds like maybe an Alpha drive?

I just adjusted my lower shift cable on the alpha1 because the shift interupt switch was engaging, and staying engaged, when going into reverse.

If you have an alpha1, maybe try the adjustments as described on this attached drawing that I got off of the Internet. It worked for me.
 

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PitchFork

PitchFork

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
313
Re: lower end sift

The 6" procedure did not work for me either after changing the gimble and ujoints. The same thing happened no reverse because the shift interrupter was engaged. I adjusted some more by the procedure anon1 posted and once in the water it came out of reverse great I could see the RPMs drop maybe 200 and the shifter moved smoothly out of reverse. But pulling out of forward to neutral was hard. It actually stuck in forward for a few seconds before the dogs would let go. My wife actually hit forward accidentally at the dock and rammed the dock because she could not pull it out of gear quick enough. So we went out later that night and spent 20+ minutes adjusting it and now it shifts great the best it has ever shifted in the 2 years I have owned the boat.

The movements out of gear should be smooth and effortless. You should see the RPMs drop just a little as this takes the load off the prop just long enough for the dogs to release the gears in the drive.

Article in the sticky explains the shift interrupter function well.
 
G

gholems

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
34
Re: lower end sift

Hello all,

Thank you fro all the reply?s on this issue. I pulled the lower off again just to look around and double check. I noticed the shift cable nut was not all the way snug to bell but it was tight. It looks to be about 1/8 away from bell. Could this be a big issue with adjustment? If so can I just measure 6 1/8 on shifter cable to compensate?

Regards
Glen
 
Bt Doctur

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,111
Re: lower end sift

You didnt mention you installed a cable.
The manual says "No more than 2 threads visable" . Most likely the cause for the adjustment issue
 
G

gholems

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
34
Re: lower end sift

sorry about that thought i did typed that late. I had the cable replaced and thought it was correct. But looking at it it is about maybe 1 /12 thread show.

Regards
 
Bt Doctur

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,111
Re: lower end sift

Being that you have the drive off, move the brass shoe on the drive so that it`s straight.This should be fwd with the prop locked CCW.Now turn the shaft fully the other way, this should lock prop CW
shiftshoes.jpg

neutral is here, fwd would be pointing straight at you ,rev is all the way to your right
 
G

gholems

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
34
Re: lower end sift

Hello,

Ok here is were I am at.

I took the lower end off.
Repaired the shift cable nut so it is flush
Checked the gear in lower end clock wise and on prop couner
shift shaft straight
install lower
shift shaft still striaght
Make the adjustments to shift cable 6
match control cable then 4 times clockwise
have forward nutrual and rev ( the rachet is little less in rev then forward)
but when I go and check engine cut off switch it has engauged both ways
take cable off check to see if it slides freely and is fine?


Man sorry about this guys but I did this before with no issue years agao.

all the help is greatful

Regards
Glen
 
A

anon1

Seaman
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
71
Re: lower end sift

Did you do the proceedure as outlined in my post above?

That 6" tactic has not worked as well for several people that I know. Do that proceedure above and by the 3rd iteration it will be fixed.
 
M

mfortie

Recruit
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
1
Re: lower end sift

anon1 said:
I didn't see if you said what drive it is. That engine/year it sounds like maybe an Alpha drive?

I just adjusted my lower shift cable on the alpha1 because the shift interupt switch was engaging, and staying engaged, when going into reverse.

If you have an alpha1, maybe try the adjustments as described on this attached drawing that I got off of the Internet. It worked for me.
Click to expand...

I had to say i was haveing the same problem after removing the shift cable to change the bellows in my alpha one gen II.

This procedure worked for me on the first try perfectly. The 6" method didn't even come close.

Thanks for posting this anon1.
 
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