Shift issues continued

StinkinRenken85

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
47
Hi all, after replacing lower shift cable and lots of messing with the cables I can shift in and out of forward and reverse. I haven’t tried bringing it to the water yet to test if my interrupter switch is still engaging when it shouldn’t because I am trying to get just the right adjustment. I feel like I may not have quite enough travel in the cables still. I can engage forward and reverse when the control is dispatched from the box and I shift by hand but and I am getting all 4 positions on the box...sort of. I have to ease the control just past the in gear idle position in both forward and reverse to engage gear. It isn’t necessary every time if I have a perfect quick shift it will go in gear at idle...I noticed if I watch the movement in the control that there is a small movement that happens after I get to the in gear idle position right before the throttle. This is an old hi lex control on my mercruiser 3.0 alpha one/mr with the plate on the manifold. I noticed my shift shoe looks like it sits too deep toward the front of the boat in the notch it goes into on the gimbal. It also looks like it may be slightly turned even while the gimbal is in forward I am not sure how it is supposed to look but not sure if it is normal or creating the need for more movement than normal to engage the gears...I had to play with the cables a lot and ended up getting it to work for now by tightening the control cable where it connects on the box because the adjustment at the motor just wasn’t working... I couldn’t figure out to post a picture of the shoe except in my profile pic here...hope someone can see it and let me know if this means the shift shaft is bent.. I have been reading and still trying to figure out how to fix this if it is the problem...may just be my control..
 

kenny nunez

Captain
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
3,056
I have had issues in the past with that brand of controller and the Marmax brand because of the limited amount of adjustment. They work great when everything is shiney and new not old and used. The best thing I can come up with is to change over to a Mercruiser style control with new cables. You could even use a surface style one from a Mercury outboard.
The boat builders use that cheap stuff to cut costs,
 

StinkinRenken85

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
47
Thanks Kenny that’s what I was thinking. Not sure if the shift foot is bent and causing the cables to need more throw than usual. Also replaced the control cable with a 3600 cable with the universal threaded end I’ve been looking at a teleflex control that is compatable with the threaded ends on the universal cables I have. I think the new 3600 cable may have more throw than the cable I had in there. I keep looking at this shift plate trying to figure out exactly how it works and I still don’t really know, freaking engineers! I feel like if I could put a spring somewhere in the system I wouldn’t be having this problem.
 

wrench 3

Commander
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
2,108
I can't get a very good look at your picture but two things are bothering me about it. One, the slipper appears to be spread apart. If the slipper isn't a good fit on the shoe you may have to squeeze the sides in. Secondly, the shoe looks about to slip off of the bottom of the slipper. If it is sitting too low the metal washer may be missing from on top of the shift shaft seal in the lower gear housing.
Also, when you're adjusting the cables make sure that you do the complete procedure from beginning to end. If you try to do only part of the procedure it messes up most every time.
 

StinkinRenken85

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
47
I don’t know if anyone will see this. I appreciate the responses it seems that I can get into forward and reverse just fine in the water. Seems like there is a little extra movement required from the forward idle position or reverse idle position before the gears engage on land but not really an issue in the water but I am still having my never ending problem with the shift interrupter switch. It has never worked right since I bought the boat even after a new shift plate and new lower cable...I have done a ton of work on this boat and am close to throwing in the towel over the function of a cheap switch...the switch works and I can go into gear just fine and sometimes out of gear fine but it seems that the switch isn’t engaging soon enough coming out of gear...what I mean is that often I get back in neutral and the switch hasn’t engaged so the boat is still in gear and I’ll have to push the control further forward or reverse whichever is the opposite of the direction I am coming from and this will pull on the shift cable enough for the switch to engage and then I am out of gear...maybe it is my control...maybe still something to do with the lower unit intermediate shift shaft...or just a adjustment..I’m shifting quickly so that’s not the problem. My neighbor is trying to convince me to put an outboard on it and forget the mercruiser, even gave me a 98 evinrude and jackplate...I think it is crazy to consider the conversion after I have done so much work...coupler, head gasket, trim pump, electronic ignition, resealed the transom, manifold, y pipe riser, shutters, I’ve fixed nearly everything on this boat but can’t figure this out I think I may lose it. I’m in Fort Lauderdale if anybody who can help me trouble shoot this wants to. Otherwise any last advice before I pull a working motor and drive from the boat to embark on a huge glassing project to put on an outboard ps don’t know anything about outboards, i hate to go buy a 300$ control just to have the same problem when getting the boat ready for the outboard May only cost a grand...
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
It does sound like a problem of slop in the control. Have you measured the slop? Use the same method I used in my shift cable adjustment video. Same as that, not more than 14mm slop. (That's 3/288th of the distance from the nose to the thumb of King Henry I, for those still using a 900 year old system ;))

Chris......
 

tennvols93

Cadet
Joined
May 23, 2018
Messages
25
It does sound like a problem of slop in the control. Have you measured the slop? Use the same method I used in my shift cable adjustment video. Same as that, not more than 14mm slop. (That's 3/288th of the distance from the nose to the thumb of King Henry I, for those still using a 900 year old system ;))

Chris......

Do you have a similar video of an adjustment that has separate throttle and gear controls? My Baja is not a single shift. That's where I get confused.
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
No video, but you can still check for slop in the same way...
 

StinkinRenken85

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
47
Thanks Chris your help is always appreciated. I think I’ll give a new shifter a try before I go and rip everything out to put an outboard on it. The idea of pulling everything and putting some more glass on the transom and the deck and pulling out all this old vinyl still may be the way to go down the line but getting one season the way things are would be nice since I’ve had the boat a year and a couple months and only been in the water a few times without much success.
 

StinkinRenken85

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
47
Quick related question if anybody sees, I bought a new control cable a few weeks ago because I thought the play was in my cable but it seems to be in the control. The new cable is a teleflex 3600 series it seems that the cable came with more than 3 inches of movement between forward and reverse. Is this the correct cable? Just want to make sure before I buy a new control. It has the threaded universal end for my pos Morse style hi lex control and the end that fits on my manifold mounted shift plate with the older style shift interrupter switch. Also does anyone know a control that will work with these Morse style universal cables I have all new cables now so I’d hate to have to replace them when I get the new control.
 
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