Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

I believe this is my first post in this forum. Mostly been reading and learning for the past few months. I've already learned a lot from you guys. Thanks!

I pulled my outdrive this weekend for my first bellows job. Replaced the bellows, gimble bearing and the lower shift cable. I got everything back together yesterday evening and now I can't shift out of forward. Initially when I tried shifting from the forward position it was in from removing the outdrive, it wouldn't move past the neutral position. I thought I just had some cable adjustments that needed to be done. I've adjusted the new cable for a while and can go from the forward position to the reverse position, but the shift interrupt switch engages in one position or the other depending on where the adjustment in the cable is done. However, regardless of my adjustments, the outdrive stays in forward.

My current theory is that the shift slide in the bellhousing slipped off the lever while we were mounting the outdrive back on. Is there anything else that I should be looking for here? Something else that could be wrong?

Oh yeah, this is on an '84 Sea Arrow with an Alpha 1 outdrive.

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

My current theory is that the shift slide in the bellhousing slipped off the lever while we were mounting the outdrive back on. Is there anything else that I should be looking for here? Something else that could be wrong?

Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,...

I'd think the drive slipped into neutral, while you were reinstallin' it....

Pull the drive, 'n use a bungee strap to hold tension on the prop shaft, holdin' it in Forward...

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

Am I right in thinking that when in forward, the prop should freely rotate clockwise and not rotate at all counter-clockwise? If so, are you suggesting that I bungee the prop such that I'm applying the pressure to the counter-clockwise direction?

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

onesNzeros said:

My current theory is that the shift slide in the bellhousing slipped off the lever while we were mounting the outdrive back on. Is there anything else that I should be looking for here? Something else that could be wrong?

Click to expand...

I believe you are correct. Here is how to tell: If you can move the control freely from F to R and it stays in F (prop free clockwise, locks CCW) the shift slide (at the end of the cable) is probably disconnected from and in front of the upper shift shaft lever.
The other possibility is that you lost the washer that goes under the intermediate shift shaft in the gear housing, in that case the top of the intermediate ss would have dropped down and not be connected to the upper ss. Take a look under there and make sure the two shafts are connected properly. The only other problem that could occur is that the intermediate ss is "off a spline", but in that case you would be stuck in N or R and the control handle would be jammed so I do not believe that is your problem. Good luck.

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

onesNzeros said:

Am I right in thinking that when in forward, the prop should freely rotate clockwise and not rotate at all counter-clockwise? If so, are you suggesting that I bungee the prop such that I'm applying the pressure to the counter-clockwise direction?

Click to expand...

Correct on both counts.

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

onesNzeros said:

I can't shift out of forward. Initially when I tried shifting from the forward position it was in from removing the outdrive, it wouldn't move past the neutral position. I thought I just had some cable adjustments that needed to be done. I've adjusted the new cable for a while and can go from the forward position to the reverse position,

Click to expand...

What is probably going on here is that there are two little arms on the shift slide that are supposed to capture the wheel on top of the shift lever. If that wheel is not between the arms, and is behind them then when you try to shift the slide moves back and the rear arm is pushing against the wheel and stops the control from moving. When you adjusted it you simply shortened the cable and did not correct the problem, so what you want to do is readjust the cable back to as close to where it was as you can, so that when you correct the problem the cable is long enough to reposition the slide. Good luck again

Re: Outdrive will not shift after cable replacement

I pulled the outdrive back off as soon as I got in from work. It was the combination of the drive not being locked in forward and the shift slide not being in position. After I got it all mounted back up and some adjustments to the new shift cable, all works great. Thanks guys!

Don