1985 sunbird will not go into gear

[JESSIELSMALL]

i was at wake speed crossing under a bridge, after clearing bridge, i excellerated the throttle and it jumped out of gear. i tested the hub and it wasnt spun. now all it does is excellerate, but prop will not turn. oh yeah after this happened i noticed that the throttle goes father forward than before and feel looser than normal, any suggestion. please help

 

[180shabah]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

I assume the hub that you tested is the prop hub. There are a couple of other possibilities, the coupler could be spun, it is on the back of the engine (instead of a clutch or torque converter as in a car) Or, more likely, if your throttle handle is truly looser you could have a broken or disconnected shift cable.

 

[blouderback]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

Sounds like a broken or stretched shifter cable. The fact that the throttle lever goes forward more than before and that it is looser than normal makes me think that.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

pretty hard to get a big chunk of fiberglass in gear....
What type of engine/drive do you have in it?

 

[JESSIELSMALL]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

pretty hard to get a big chunk of fiberglass in gear....
What type of engine/drive do you have in it?

the drive is a omc 400 stern drive, the engine is an old one and the only thing i can get off it is 3.8litre i do know from some numbers that its a gm 305

 

[Don S]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

engine is an old one and the only thing i can get off it is 3.8litre i do know from some numbers that its a gm 305

Ok, which is it. A 3.8L is a V6, a GM 305 is a 5.0L V8.

 

[I/O WALDO]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

Didn't those older omc cobra drives have some shift cable upgrade reccomended by omc? ( red cable vs.black cable)

 

[Don S]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

That was early Cobra's, He has a stringer..

 

[I/O WALDO]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

Oh! Live -n-learn!

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

If you have a 400 drive behind a 3.8, that's the problem. You have 30 more HP than that drive was ever designed for. A 3.8 V6 should use an 800 series drive, not 400. Your lower unit may have failed.
But first, you need to take the cover off the shift converter at the rear of the engine there...Look in and see what the cables are doing.
A shift cable might have broken.
You can disconnect the cables inside the converter (there'a little diagram inside the housing.... you need to look on the back to see how the pawls work, or better yet get a manual) and try shifting it and seeing if the prop will lock F and R. if the cable works, but the drive doesn't, you need to take the lower unit off and look to see if the w/p shaft spline has failed in the outdrive, and drain the upper and lower units to look for metal chunks.

Is the engine overheating at all?

 

[JESSIELSMALL]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

If you have a 400 drive behind a 3.8, that's the problem. You have 30 more HP than that drive was ever designed for. A 3.8 V6 should use an 800 series drive, not 400. Your lower unit may have failed.
But first, you need to take the cover off the shift converter at the rear of the engine there...Look in and see what the cables are doing.
A shift cable might have broken.
You can disconnect the cables inside the converter (there'a little diagram inside the housing.... you need to look on the back to see how the pawls work, or better yet get a manual) and try shifting it and seeing if the prop will lock F and R. if the cable works, but the drive doesn't, you need to take the lower unit off and look to see if the w/p shaft spline has failed in the outdrive, and drain the upper and lower units to look for metal chunks.

Is the engine overheating at all?

no the engine has never over heated, on top of the motor which is a 3.8 v6 according to the sticker on the motor. there is a silver plate that the shift cable connects to. it has two sensors on it, i guess that one tells the engine to forward and the other reverse. i opened up the case and the cable from that case to the outdrive moves back and forth with no problem. i put it into gear and it locked a little, but i was able to turn the prop by hand, i could hear something turning in the out drive, but the shaft that comes out of the upper part of the outdrive was not turning.

 

[JESSIELSMALL]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

engine is an old one and the only thing i can get off it is 3.8litre i do know from some numbers that its a gm 305

Ok, which is it. A 3.8L is a V6, a GM 305 is a 5.0L V8.

the engines sticker says 3.8l and it has six spark plugs makeing it a v6, i took one of my pulleys to a gm auto dealer, he ran the numbers off of the pulley and thats where i got the information that it was a gm 305

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

You have a 3.8L V6.
Well, If the lower is turning in gear and the upper isnt trying to turn the engine over, It kinda sounds like your w/p shaft has failed.. However, It sometimes takes 2 people to shift into gear the way you're doing it- 1 person turn the prop a bit by hand while the other shifts the cable in the converter box. btw, Those switches on the shift converter housing activate the ESA - electronic shift assist system.

 

[JESSIELSMALL]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

i checked the cable converter, for forward and reverse. when i moved it the prop tightened abit, but i was still able to move it with my hand and when i started the motor it still didn't move the prop. i have removed the drive, is there away to put it into gear when drive is off the boat. any suggestion will be appreciated. i bought the manual like you said, but there is nothing like suggestions from someone experienced in the matter

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: 1985 sunbird will not go into gear

shifting it off the boat is the same as on - you just tug the cable ends while rotating the prop a bit. Now that the drive is off, you want to separate upper and lower and check the w/p shaft. Then try turning the vertical shaft to the lower and see how it acts when shifting.