88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

I have a 1988 Ebbtide Riviera 180 XLS with the chevy 4.3L engine and OMC cobra lower unit. It has the red updated lower shift cable but I am not sure when it was replaced or if it was adjusted properly when it was replaced. What happens is a cable type thing pops out in the lower unit(see pictures below) It works fine when i test it out of water engages in both fowards and reverse and also goes to neutral and spins freely but once you put it on the water forward works fine and also goes back to neutral fine but than the second i try reverse it instantly gets stuck and i have to take off the lower unit to put in back into place as seen in the pictures below. I was just wondering if anyone knew if this is just a poorly adjusted shift cable or if i have other issues to worry about. Thanks


This is what happens when it gets stuck, the thing pops out of that fork, but everything works fine when the boat is on land and i test it but than it always does this when i put it in the water.


Then i have to pop in back into place like this....

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

also forgot to add that the owner before me had a metal band JB welded above that fork so the cable wouldnt pop out of place but it broke off and thats what lead me to this reverse problem.

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

There is a brass guide under the plastic piece. It is probly broke allowing it to drop down. This brass piece is part of the cable.

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Ok sounds good I'll check that tomorrow. This may be a dumb question but im a car guy not boat guy what cable would that be that i will need to replace if the brass support is broken?

Idlespeedonly said:

There is a brass guide under the plastic piece. It is probly broke allowing it to drop down. This brass piece is part of the cable.

Click to expand...

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Look at this thread. This is what everything is supposed to look like. Your looks like this?
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=532964&p=3744921#post3744921

i wonder if part #98 is broken
http://www.marineengine.com/parts/o...acturer=OMC+Stern+Drive&section=Transom+Mount

If you happen to pull your drive all the way off, take some pictures and post them.

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Ok I took some more pictures today with the lower unit all the way off and i think i found the problem myself but maybe you guys can tell me if im right. The brass tube thing is broken or separated behind part number 98 see the pictures i posted...let me know if i need to take new or different pictures but thanks for all the help so far


normal picture in neutral


reverse just so you can see everything


hard to see on this picture but at the back of that brass tube there was a small gap in between the brass rod and what looked like an adjusting nut of some kind and thats what i think is broken unless that gap is suppose to be there. it seems to be making part number 98 all floppy and that is why i think it is dropping down and getting stuck in reverse

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

That's your problem and was also pointed out by Idlespeedonly earlier. That piece is part of the cable.

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Ok cool thanks is that just the lower shift cable?

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Where should i buy the lower shift cable and what manual should i buy to replace it myself?

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

I personally would buy the OMC cable. I would also buy a factory OMC manual available on ebay if you search.

read this
http://www.hastings.org/~stuart/cobra/

Read this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=532964&p=3744921#post3744921
I have requested this thread to be a sticky. Have no idea why it isn't yet.

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

bought a new lower shift cable, oem service manual, the alignment tools, installed the cable today and got everything back together the way the manual said and it still gets stuck in reverse. i dunno what i did wrong

Re: 88 Eddtide 4.3L OMC Cobra stuck in reverse

Did you check/adust the height of the shift rod? The measurement must be 7 13/64". That step is critical & you must split the drive to do the adjustment.