Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

[MercMonster]

I was adjusting both cables yesterday on the shift plate and could get the drive to engage fully into forward, but when I went to make the reverse adjustment and got it right, it kept pulling the forward adjustment out from engaging fully. Well, I finally got it where both engaged fully, but technically speaking, is the adjustment procedure usually this fine-tuned? Where only a few threads on the remote cable can mean either being adjusted properly or not. I about pulled every gray hair out of my skull on this, even the ones that were forming as I attempted the adjustment procedure. Just wondering if this might signal something more pressing in the future, like gears going bad? Or maybe I just didn't have the correct tension on the cable?

 

[Don S]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

When they get like that, it usually means one or both shift cables are worn out inside, causing a lot of extra free play instead of cable movement.
Replace the worn cable.

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

Thanks Don for your advice! Just replaced the lower shift cable, will get a remote cable here shortly.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

yeah, there's not to much "adjusting" that needs to be done with shift cables. If you set the barrell to eyelet length correct as according to the manual, and it still doesn't work right... then thats usually a sign you have bad/stretched/binding/split cables.

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

Had her out on the water at daybreak today. Sat there in the rain at the dock all morning trying to figure out why it was shifting to forward on dry land, but not in the water. Don, you couldn't have been more right. Looked up under the inside where the cables and wiring run and there was a nice size piece of the outer sheath of the cable missing, the wiring around the core wire had doubled up from shifting pressure, so many times in fact that many of the wires were broke in half. The core wire was as shiney as a new nickel and no bends to be found. I was by the marina store, so decided to see if they had one in stock. They needed the one out of the boat, being they are based on length. Had it out in about 15 minutes. Mine was about 11 1/2 feet. I was figuring at least 60-70 bucks since I had just bought the lower shift cable. Imagine my surprise when I was told $25. Installed that cable in another 10 minutes and put her back on the lake. Sailed away from that dock like a knife through butter. Stayed out there playing until dark. Couldn't have done it without you great guys answering questions on this forum. You all know who you are. A BIG thanks from me!! I still have some little tweaking to do, but she's seaworthy, or at least lakeworthy.

 

[Don S]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

Ain't it fun when all your hard work finally pays off!

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Cable Adjustment - Forward Neutral Reverse

Indeed!