Alpha shift cable help please!!

First off I?m very new to boating; I have had this boat for a year. I have a 1975 Mark Twain. It has an alpha output. I was having shifting problems so I am replacing the lower shift cable that was very bad. I got all the part that I thought I needed...... But the cable that I got where it screws into the bell housing is wrong. I assume it is the cable that screws in from the aft side?? I need the cable that screws in from the front side (side facing the back of the boat) of the bell housing. Also if I just get the cable now that I have the kit with the wrong cable will all the stuff that came with the other kit work with the correct cable?

Thanks Jared

Re: Alpha shift cable help please!!

The cables that screw in from the front of the bellhousing are obsolete. They are still out there but almost everyone changes to the newer style that screw in from the aft end. They were change to make servicing/changing the cable easier.

What you have to do is remove the old cable and use the correct mercruiser straight tap, from the front of the bellhousing and send it out thru the aft end finishing off the threads. IF you tap from the aft end you will cross thread where they meet and that won't be very good.

IMPORTANT: This shift cable (which attaches to
bell housing from aft end) can be used on models
with old style shift cable (attached on front side
of bell housing).

To do this, the threaded hole in
bell housing must be tapped all the way through,
using a 1/4-18 NPSF tap. This special STRAIGHT
THREAD TAP may be obtained through
Quicksilver by ordering 91-95639. The following
important information must be observed when
performing tapping operation.

• Tapping must be done from the front (bellows
side) end of bell housing to prevent crossthreading.
• Never use a TAPERED THREAD TAP as improper
positioning of shift cable may result,
or water may leak into bell housing.

Oh, yeah... don't cut the new cable to length, it is already correct.

Here is a link to Manual#6 which covers the procedure, the link will take you to page 4A-17.
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser6.html#/94