1989 Force Gamefisher shift linkage adjustment

[paxmule]

Hi, all, I recently got a 1989 Force gamefisher 15hp. Changed the gear oil and it looked great. No water, no shavings, oil looked new. I also changed the impeller while i was in there. I did not turn the lower shift rod in any manner. It went back together the same way it was disconnected when i dropped the lower unit. On my first run, it runs great, has good throttle response, but when planing at around 15MPH i am getting a sort of a half-second slip and thump as if the clutch dog is periodically slipping. It doesn't happen very often. I noticed that when shifting to fwd, it doesn't feel as if it goes quite as far into fwd gear as it does in reverse. I'm thinking I need to make an adjustment and do it in the upper portion of the linkage. There is one rod in the linkage that takes a couple bends down to a small threaded barrel end that seems like I could adjust it to make it travel a bit farther into FWD gear. Has anyone ever done this adjustment on this engine?

 

[jheydubya]

Hi, all, I recently got a 1989 Force gamefisher 15hp. Changed the gear oil and it looked great. No water, no shavings, oil looked new. I also changed the impeller while i was in there. I did not turn the lower shift rod in any manner. It went back together the same way it was disconnected when i dropped the lower unit. On my first run, it runs great, has good throttle response, but when planing at around 15MPH i am getting a sort of a half-second slip and thump as if the clutch dog is periodically slipping. It doesn't happen very often. I noticed that when shifting to fwd, it doesn't feel as if it goes quite as far into fwd gear as it does in reverse. I'm thinking I need to make an adjustment and do it in the upper portion of the linkage. There is one rod in the linkage that takes a couple bends down to a small threaded barrel end that seems like I could adjust it to make it travel a bit farther into FWD gear. Has anyone ever done this adjustment on this engine?

I have been working on an 89 force 50 hp, I had a similar experience, one outing I couldn't get out of drive. figured out that while vibrating the shift linkage by the lower had rattled completely apart. I had the symptoms you described a couple outings before. I had marked the linkage with paint to reset after doing impeller and seals, reset, cranked it down good, no issues since. once in a while I check that the nut is tight.

 

[paxmule]

I removed nut 17 and turned rod 18 in 6 turns. It now engages much farther into FWD. I won't be able to water test it for a couple weeks due to wind and weather.

 

[jerryjerry05]

You said: "getting a sort of a half-second slip and thump as if the clutch dog is periodically slipping."
It's possible the dog is slipping?? Also test the prop hub for slipping,
Remove the prop, scribe a line across the hub and reinstall and go for a ride.
After a slip, check the scribed line and see if it has moved???

 

[paxmule]

Thanks, I'll mark it before I get it on the water next and if the same symptoms are there, I'll see if its the prop hub. One thing about this prop, The way it is mounted, with no nut, its just the prop, the prop pin, the cone and the cotter pin, there is some slight in and out play in it when i grab it and wiggle it. Is that normal in this force setup? I don't see any shim or washer in the parts breakdown for that year model.

 

[paxmule]

As a preemptive measure I started looking for a replacement prop to have a spare or one on hand in case it does end up being a slipping prop hub, I ended up down the rabbit hole reading through all kinds of posts about other people not finding a prop for this motor. Not sure if anyone ever found a solution but it's an 8 3/8x6x3 part number FP715 10 spline. It seems a lot of people in the past haven't been able to find a replacement. It would be a shame if I couldn't, because aside from the little slipping factor, this motor actually runs beautifully.

 

[jheydubya]

Thanks, I'll mark it before I get it on the water next and if the same symptoms are there, I'll see if its the prop hub. One thing about this prop, The way it is mounted, with no nut, its just the prop, the prop pin, the cone and the cotter pin, there is some slight in and out play in it when i grab it and wiggle it. Is that normal in this force setup? I don't see any shim or washer in the parts breakdown for that year model.

I'm pretty sure that is normal, but I am new to these myself.

 

[paxmule]

OK, so it wasn't the linkage. It also wasn't the prop. I put another prop on and it's still doing it. I am going to pull out the shaft and gears and see what's going on in there when I get a chance.

 

[paxmule]

Here is a video of what its doing if that helps anyone with diagnosis.
View attachment received_3465160667080234.mp4

 

[paxmule]

Ok, I just disassembled the lower unit. The clutch looks brand new. No wear at all on it or the gears. One thing I noticed is that when the clutch is in the forward spring position, there is a good amount of play in it as if the spring isn't pushing it as far toward forward as it should. I also noticed that there was in and out play in the prop shaft when installed. I ordered a new spring and clutch pin since they were cheap and available. When that arrives, I'll see if the new spring makes a difference.

 

[Nordin]

I suppose the LU is the same style as the older Chrysler 9,9-15Hp.
I think the lower shift shaft is not adjusted properly if the clutch dog edges and the edge at the gear looks good. The edges should be perpendicular and not rounded.
In the workshop manual there is a distance from the split edge for the LU and the midleg of the shift shaft lower connection hole (center screw hole).
To adjust it you turn the lower shift shaft to maintain the right distance.

 

[paxmule]

I suppose the LU is the same style as the older Chrysler 9,9-15Hp.
I think the lower shift shaft is not adjusted properly if the clutch dog edges and the edge at the gear looks good. The edges should be perpendicular and not rounded.
In the workshop manual there is a distance from the split edge for the LU and the midleg of the shift shaft lower connection hole (center screw hole).
To adjust it you turn the lower shift shaft to maintain the right distance.

Yes it should be the same LU. The edges are not rounded on the clutch dog or the gears. I unfortunately don't have a shop manual for this motor, but i would love to find one. I've been going off the parts breakdown photo. I have the lower shift shaft dog disconnected from the shaft right now so i could split split the gearcase from the mid lower unit, and a clip fell out when i seperated them. The clip is in the parts breakdown but doesn't really show its exact location. IT just has it in the photo near the shift selector dog. I'm thinking it has something to do with the issue. Maybe holds the selector up to keep it from dropping too far when in forward? If so, it could be my issue. I'm just unsure of exactly where it's supposed to go.

 

[paxmule]

OK, i just downloaded a manual. I see where everything goes. When i get my new spring, pin and seal kit, i will reassemble, make sure everything is adjusted correctly and water test again.

 

[paxmule]

I got the LU all put back together and adjusted correctly. The new clutch spring is 1/16" longer than the old one and it took out a bit of the play that the clutch had when in the forward position. I also have more of a "snap" into gear when shifting it which makes me think the detent clip for the shift cam wasn't installed correctly before. I will water test it this coming weekend.

 

[paxmule]

Got it on the water today. Ran great, no issues. Not sure if it was the clutch spring, the lower shift rod adjustment, the detent clip or a combination, but the issue is resolved. It pushes the boat 17mph upriver without any hiccups.

 

[Nordin]

Nice you got it up and running.
I think the issue was the cam dent not in position and the lower shift shaft not adjusted properly.
The distinct snap when shifting into gear is just right and you know the shift pin is right in the shift cam.

 

[paxmule]

Thanks. I'm glad this old motor still has some life in it.