shift guide

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
After fighting with adjusting my shift cables I decided to take it to a place aned have them fix it. Well guy calls and days the shift guide broke. So drove 3 hours to get a used one. Its the black composite/plastic piece thats on the transom shift cable end inside outdrive. What would make that break?


Now he calls says he tried putting ourdrive on but is having trouble getting u joint an coupler to go in ui joint bellow. And ssying thats why it snapped the shift guide. And that I need a new bellow which will allow the outdrive to slide right on. this sounds like bs but not sure what do others think?


Me and 2 other guys man handled it up and in this past weekend. Had lil trouble getting it past that part, but this was our first time and got it
 

sea wolf

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
1,219
Re: shift guide

Sounds like you need a mechanic that knows what he's doing. Your engine/drive is probably in need of an alignment. Me, I'd go get my boat, buy an alignment tool & do it myself before he does more damage. Sheesh! P.S., if he broke the shift cable guide, then the cable may need to be readjusted. Does this guy know how to adjust the shift cable on a Cobra? Better hope so!
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

What could cause that to break? We got the coupler square on the outside of u joint bellow and gave few light hits with rubber mallet.

He also says he hooks it to some machine once done to see if shifts right. Forgot what he called it
 

sea wolf

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
1,219
Re: shift guide

What could cause that to break? We got the coupler square on the outside of u joint bellow and gave few light hits with rubber mallet.

He also says he hooks it to some machine once done to see if shifts right. Forgot what he called it
Muffs?
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide




Think he called it a diromer something like that, i recall he said what ever test it is he takes the prop off for so i have no clue. This is first boat ive done anything with and already have took it to one person that didnt know what they was doing when they advertise as a boat mechanic. Im gotta drive another 3 hours round trip then take part to em and im staying there until hes done or i take my boat tomorrow.
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

so noone has ever heard of any test of that nature?
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

is it normal to be tight and lil difficult to get the u joint coupler inside the u joint bellow? When installing the outdrive back on? thanks
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

would you happen to know which engine mount i adjust if it needs aligned any? Thanks
 

bbgun24

Seaman
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
74
Re: shift guide

I removed my cobra outdrive last summer for the first time and I did struggle a little getting it back in. Finally myself and two others tilted the outdrive all the way up and it poped right in. Buy the alignment tool, coat the end of the tool with some grease and try to slide it into the coupler splines. Pull the alignment tool out and look at the grease pattern from the splines. This will tell you which way to adjust your two front engine mounts. Do not adjust the two back mounts they are the pivot points.
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

I removed my cobra outdrive last summer for the first time and I did struggle a little getting it back in. Finally myself and two others tilted the outdrive all the way up and it poped right in. Buy the alignment tool, coat the end of the tool with some grease and try to slide it into the coupler splines. Pull the alignment tool out and look at the grease pattern from the splines. This will tell you which way to adjust your two front engine mounts. Do not adjust the two back mounts they are the pivot points.


I have the 89 Vip with the 2.3 cyl. Believe it only has two motor mounts and what I've found so far the front mount is on the port side. Is that the only one I adjust? Thanks
 

Howard Sterndrive

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
4,603
Re: shift guide

when those cobra bellows swell, they can be miserable to get that giant u-joint section through.

Caterpillar 1U-9891 hydraulic oil additive poured on the opening, a big screwdriver with no sharp edges through the u-joint and twist back and forth while pushing the drive in. It takes a lot of strength to hold the drive while doing that. I could see dropping it and breaking that guide.

0984016 GUIDE, Shift cable 1 $88.00
wow, BRP is ruthless

Propshaft dyno? that's a well tooled shop if that's what they're saying
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

when those cobra bellows swell, they can be miserable to get that giant u-joint section through.

Caterpillar 1U-9891 hydraulic oil additive poured on the opening, a big screwdriver with no sharp edges through the u-joint and twist back and forth while pushing the drive in. It takes a lot of strength to hold the drive while doing that. I could see dropping it and breaking that guide.

0984016 GUIDE, Shift cable 1 $88.00
wow, BRP is ruthless

Propshaft dyno? that's a well tooled shop if that's what they're saying



The machine he hooks it to is something that puts pressure on the drive just like water would to test shifting
 

Howard Sterndrive

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
4,603
Re: shift guide

that's called a test wheel - basically a very inefficient propeller, that most shops have a collection of....but I couldn't connect it to "diromer"

test wheel for omc:
53z6q6b.jpg
 

Jono69

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
81
Re: shift guide

The machine he hooks it to is something that puts pressure on the drive just like water would to test shifting
I believe that machine that he spoke of is a large garbage can or Rubbermaid container full of water. Just my two cents: Get your boat back. Do some intensive searches through this forum, post some questions, and buy a factory manual. You Can fix it yourself. Take your time, be patient and thorough. Save a ton of money!!
I hear about these boat "mechanics" way too often anymore.
 

ljsweeney

Seaman
Joined
May 23, 2011
Messages
54
Re: shift guide

Since you are not the original owner and you do not know how well maintained the boat is, I would take the opportunity to replace the u-joint bellows. As another poster stated, they can swell up over time and make reinstalling the outdrive a serious PITA. I would not be comfortable with continuing to 'manhandle' the drive to reinstall it. Don't forget to grease up your u-joint and gimbal bearing zerks as long as the outdrive is removed.

Good luck.
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

that's called a test wheel - basically a very inefficient propeller, that most shops have a collection of....but I couldn't connect it to "diromer"

test wheel for omc:
53z6q6b.jpg



Yeah i believe thats what it is. I have had this boat to 2 different people, first one had it for week and half and didnt touch it and would never answer my calls so i went and got my boat. Tried replacing the shift cable myself wasnt to bad but wasnt able to get it dialed in right. Thats when I I found this guy in phone book, called asked if he works on omc cobra and said yes. And that he charges $70 Hour and to do my transom shift cable would be about 2 hours. Well as of today when i toke him the bellow he said theres 2 hours in it already, so gonna have another 3 hours in it once its done.

I suppose if it its done and runs like it should so be it, price you pay I guess. But Kinda getting the feeling Im getting jerked around and People wonder why the world is the way it is anymore. To many crocked and unhonest people out there
 

sqhurt

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
77
Re: shift guide

Well $331 dollars later it shifts ,BUUUUt now esa dont work. Which my be my fault. Also he said yeah we dont know much about omc nor have the special tools, after my very first call to them yes they work on em and asked about the alingment tool and he said they have the tools. but I have the boat and gonna test the esa now



well spoke too soon, cables are not adjusted properly
 
Top