32' searay shifting /stalling issues,

[stang32]

hye guys i need some help, ive been dicking around with this boat for way too long, ive replaced the shift cables and adjusted them several times, i have even had another marine mechanic adjust them but i am still having a stalling problem and getting real frustrated.
what else could cause the stalling if there is a new cable & it has been adjusted. should i look for something worn ? would the upper cables cause a problem with stalling?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... In this forum We don't care what the boat is,....
But,....
We Gotta know what motor, 'n what drive yer talkin' 'bout,.....
The Vintage is also helpful,...

 

[Chigwalla]

Have you checked that the shift cutout switch is working properly ?

 

[stang32]

STUPID STUPID STUPID ME, SORRY, its an 89 mercruiser with 5.7 gm motor.

THE SHIFTER CONTROL IS A DUAL QUICKSILVER UNIT. the one with the round head/handle and trim switches in the top

the cutout is working properly, yes

alpha 1 gen 1

 

[Bondo]

STUPID STUPID STUPID ME, SORRY, its an 89 mercruiser with 5.7 gm motor.

Ok,.... Now tell Us how/ when is it stallin',..??

When shiftin',..??
Into gear,..??
Outa gear,..??
When just crusin',..??

Help Us, help you,....

 

[Bt Doctur]

a 32 footer with 2 5.7`s and Alpha`s is seriously underpowered
Remove the lower shift cable and see if it moves freely ,like with greased fingers from F to R

 

[stang32]

ok, the boat is a 30' not 32, typo,
the boat seems to stall out going from reverse to neutral mostly.
the shift interrupt is working , although i thought the interrupt kills half the engine,or is that just the newer thunderbolt ignitions? when the shift interrupt is held down on this boat the whole engine dies
this boat seems to have a mismatch of components, it has a prestolite distributor with electronic ignition.

 

[nateo]

No Title

There is a very precise procedure for adjusting the remote control shift cable (a.k.a. upper shift cable). There is a default position and 4 subsequent positions as well. Chris's video on youtube is excellent. So is this attachment. Hope you're back on the water soon.

 

[nateo]

ok, the boat is a 30' not 32, typo,
the boat seems to stall out going from reverse to neutral mostly.
the shift interrupt is working , although i thought the interrupt kills half the engine,or is that just the newer thunderbolt ignitions? when the shift interrupt is held down on this boat the whole engine dies
this boat seems to have a mismatch of components, it has a prestolite distributor with electronic ignition.

The purpose of the interrupt switch is to kill the engine for a split second so that the drive can be shifted. If it's longer then a split second the engine will die. I battled the same shifting problem on a old boat I had for the better part of the summer. Once I found that document I had mine shifting perfectly. I also watched Chris's videos a few times.

 

[stang32]

i have to resurect this old post, i am still fighting with this problem, we replaced the remote shift control assy & cables with a seastar solutions unit & cables, the same engine is doing the same thing. this is gettng me very frustrated. i have set up the shift cables according to instructions. so to recap,

this is on the port engine

new cables, upper & lower,

shift cut out working,

prestolite ignition with new pertronix module, coil & wires

rebuilt carb, (not that it matters)

reverse rotation outdrive,

rebuilt motor, 2 years ago

30' searay with twin 5.7's

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

You might want to try watching the sift interrupt while someone shifts if for you to see how the linkage is reacting. If your comfortable with a Multi mater you can monitor the voltage across the switch also.


You can also disconnect the interrupt switch ( TEMPORARILY ) to ensure its causing the issue ( BUT BE ADVISED THE BOAT WILL NOT WANT TO COME OUT OF GEAR EASILY -- YOU MAY NEED TO TURN THE KEY OFF TO DISENGAGE IT )

If your sure what the root cause is -- and that its the shift interrupt switch -- Then you should try the adjustment procedure. ALSO -- Make sure your roller switch is not bent or damaged and that the spring and activator are working OK ( Not binding etc )

As stated above -- The interrupt is supposed to cut the spark -- but only for a fraction of a second so the Out drive can disengage its gears --

Reason
The angle of the gear teeth in the drive makes them hard to disengage under load. When shifting the interrupt circuit will sense any excessive force on the cable , cut the spark until that force is reduced by the drive coming out of gear.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Stalling while coming out of gear is usually a bad cable or tight shifting components.
You need to remove the drive and see if the drive will shift easily, then make sure the shaft thru the exaust port moves freely, then make sure the cable moves freely and make sure the arm that has the spring moves freely
.By "freely" I mean it moves with greased fingers.
There is an update / bulletin about replacing the spring for the interupter

 

[Bt Doctur]

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/00/00_01.pdf

 

[stang32]

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/00/00_01.pdf

that bulleting if for EFI engines, which leads me to believe it is intended for newer engines, this is an 89 carbed 5.7

so back to basics, and some ansers to theories,
the stall is promenant upon shifting this is happening only upon parking manuvers out of gear only.
the shift interupt is the button style, not roller/micro switch type
i diconnected the switch and had to shut the engine down because it would not come out of gear.
.
i plan on pulling the boat and removing the drive for inspection biut this is my last ditched effort,
if i find no evidence of binding when i pull the drive, where do i go from there?
i have madde all the adjustments on theshift interupt and rechecked several times,
also now i have a new shift control box with new cables.

i am at the end of my rope on this one and do not know what to do next. is there something in the drive that could be binding the drive operated flawlessly other than this issue, no noise, at all

 

[dubs283]

there is some adjustment in the shift interrupt switch, you say you have the newer button style, not the old roller/arm, micro switch? you can loosen the screws on the button assy and move it slightly, it does not take much

also, upgrade to the stiffer v-spring, it has yellow markings on the tips and is available through your local merc dealer - this will return the activator to the "run" position quicker

 

[stang32]

but the service bulletin is for fuel injected models, this is an 89 carbed engine. . as for the adjustment, i can clearly see the cable pulling the detent for a prolonged time before disengaging gear, this is why the interupt is activated long enough to stall the engine

 

[stang32]

ok, so the boat is coming out of the water this week, i will pull the drive and check/replace the cable. also we hear the u joints making noise upon left turn so we will be changing those. what else can/should i be lookng for when the drive is off? is there a way to determine a problem with the drive with it off the gimbal? i ran across a video at 1 point where a guy was doig a degree test with the shift arm on a lower unit, i cant find that video now but i am wondering if that could be an issue, that there is too much travel on the arm. anyone know what im talking about>?

 

[Scott06]

I'd go through the list BT Dr gave you, and if that bears no fruit check the shift angle you reference.

One thought did anyone split this drive for an impeller replacement? On a gen one you can mis time the shift shoe to the sift shaft splines In The lower, also can bend the **** out of the shift shoe if your not careful having it in fwd and lining up the shift lever when you put the drive back on. I've done it and by forcing it back on cause it was late in the day and was raining winterizing in October... was a real time saver when I figured out the shift shoe was broken and the linkage was bent the following spring. Look for any components down there that look like someone was in a hurry, like me.... the shift shoe was $95...

 

[stang32]

thanks, i did replace the impeller but the i always reinstall with the drive in forward ( shoe straight) so i have no mistakes. do you have info on checking the shift angle?
when the drive is off, i will check the shoe again.

 

[stang32]

one thought i had was , although this is a twin 5.7 boat, i do have a spare v6 drive and was wondering how bad would it be if i put the v6 drive on thid boat to see the reaction. i know, obviously the gear ratio is off but would be cause a major issue nd if it worked out, could i run the boat for the saeson on it. would the boat be pulling to the left/right?