4.3 liter 1989 Cobra problem

[rolmops]

I finally had a chance to go fishing in my restored Islander with the 4.3 liter rebuilt engine. Everything went great but in the middle of the day, after I started the engine, it would stall upon shifting forward. When I would push the accelerator forward fast, there would not be a problem and I could pull the lever back to almost disengaging the forward without any trouble.
Does this mean carburetor trouble? Or should I look elsewhere (the lower unit perhaps)?
Thank you , Cornelis

 

[Scott Danforth]

your lower shift cable needs adjustment. follow @Lou C 's writeup

 

[Lou C]

It could be the adjustment of the shift cable, the bell crank in the pivot housing could be getting jammed up due to water getting in around the gasket, or the cable itself could be getting stiff. Anytime there is drag in the shift system it can cause the ESA system to be engaged too long & this can stall the engines….

 

[Lou C]

With both ends disconnected there should not be more than 2.5 lbs drag in the transom shift cable. If there is slop in the remote control that can cause other problems like grinding into gear. The basic idea is that the shift cable must move with little resistance and you must get equal throw into FWD & REV on either side of neutral. ESA must function properly to get into neutral. It’s a tricky system to master but when you do it works very well.

 

[rolmops]

Thank you so much for your answers. I will work on these problems one by one.

 

[rolmops]

I replaced the lower shift cable. It was easier than I expected.
The engine end is leaving me with a question. The cable was sent with some tools. One to keep the lower end in position and one tool that is supposed to show the exact distance between the front end hole and the position of the little copper thing that slides into a slot. The tool does not have a marker showing the exact spot where the copper thing is supposed to sit. Can anybody give me the exact distance measurement between the two points?
Thank you.