1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

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jolio55

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Hi Everyone!!

So Saturday I took my new (to me) 1986 Four Winns Horizon 190 out for the first time to Lake Pleasant with the family!! We had a blast, the boat started and ran great.... for the most part. I noticed a few times that going into either forward or reverse the outdrive made a click,click,click noise before going into gear, again it didn't do it every time. I put the throttle into gear from neutral slowly and smoothly. I have read that for some mercruisers that you are supposed to shift into gear fast, is this true with OMC too? The more I think about it, I think it only happened when the drive wasn't all the way down, like while unloading the boat or when docking in shallow water I pulled the drive up a bit just to be safe... Could this be a part of the problem? I didn't think drive position would really matter. Yes I am new to boating if you didn't already know.. :)

When I went to buy the boat I had the previous owner start it up with the muffs on with the drive up and I put it into gear with no noise at all... I did notice after pulling the boat out of the water Saturday that the shift cables and wiring on the starboard side of the gunwhale where hanging down and I do know they weren't hanging down when I bought it. Upon closer inspection it appears that the zip ties holding the cable assembly to the upper portion of the gunwhale broke, possibly due to towing? Does anyone know how the cables are supposed to be mounted?? I see some longer screws that the old zip ties were hanging on, is this where it's supposed to mount? I am not positive this is my problem but at this point it is all I can think of, the boat and outdrive only have 320hrs on it and has been well taken care of.

Any advice and help would be appreciated I would like the issue resolved before I take her out again, I don't want to ruin anything.

-Joel
 

Junkiexp

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

Maybe your dog clutch is not so good anymore.
Does the ESA system works well ?
 

Don S

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

I put the throttle into gear from neutral slowly and smoothly. I have read that for some mercruisers that you are supposed to shift into gear fast, is this true with OMC too?

Same as a Mercruiser, you put into gear smartly, not slow and smooth.
Also be sure your idle rpm is to specs. To high an rpm can cause the same thing.

As a NOTE:
is the ESA system works well ?

As in the Merc system, the ESA system only works coming out of gear, does nothing when putting into gear.
 

jolio55

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

Idle is at about 600-750, I lowered it from about 1100 after I bought it. I read in my OMC manual I thought it was supposed to be around there... I will have to double check.
 

Lou C

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

That's still too high, try to get it from 500-600 rpm, and shift it fast, not slow, any dog clutch drive or outboard will grind if you shift it too slow. OMC's spec is 500-600 rpm in gear in the water.....
 

jolio55

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

Hmmm, I wasn't paying as much attention to the idle while it was in gear. I guess i'll be hooking the muffs up and making some test/adjustments.

So how high or low the drive is doesn't matter and no one thinks the way the cable was hanging down had any direct effect to the way it was shifting??

I am thinking its just the way I was shifting it, super slow and smooth.
 

Dieter

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

Try not to put it in gear with the trim up it is very hard on your u joints
 

jolio55

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Re: 1986 OMC 4.3 with cobra outdrive not shifting smoothly, makes a noise

Oh, so that is bad for the joints? I wasn't sure. Isn't the trim tab used while underway for leveling out the boat in waves and such??
 

janric

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4.3 omc outdrive. can someone tell me the height from lower base to the neutral position when reinstalling shift fork. I took it apart without measuring. The book just says use the omc tool to measure.
 

Extremeaudio

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4.3 omc outdrive. can someone tell me the height from lower base to the neutral position when reinstalling shift fork. I took it apart without measuring. The book just says use the omc tool to measure.
7 13/64 " just did mine today
 
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