Another Bravo 3 shift issue

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pursuit2460

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Replace every cable on one around 5 years ago. The owner insisted they were all bad as it shifted hard, dual drives. Wouldn't let us check out the controls. After doing what he wanted it was back. He said he should have listened and we replaced the controls and then it was fine. Just yet another thing to consider.
I also have a brand new control. I had the old style and just couldn’t stand it, so switched to the new style control. Much nicer.
 

pursuit2460

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Ayuh,..... SEI is now sellin' complete Bravo 1s for 'bout $3500.00....
I have a B3. Haven’t looked at SEI in years. They use to be not so great. Don’t know if they have stepped up their quality.
 

pursuit2460

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lol

I thought the pinned trunion from your old cable didn't need adjustment?

Kinda think based on this, and your apprehension to merely pulling the drive and digging not much further into the shift components and running the drive for another season you should save up for a new drive or fix it now

FYI, there were many changes to bravo uppers in the early 2000s and installing new gears often requires new needle bearing races and special tools for intall/shimming
Well, if you read what I wrote, looks like you didn’t, the old pinned barrel nut and the new adjustable barrel, ended up in the same place. Second, I pulled the drive because I didn’t know it’s maintenance history and was having hard shift. The cable was cut and the inner wire had rust. The cable bellow was dry rotted also. So being that I can’t foresee the future, why would I go ripping into a drive not to knowing the issue first. I also don’t need to save for a drive. I can go and buy an entire drive tomorrow. Not to mention that a semi-hard shift, since it did get better than before, isn’t going to cause the drive to explode, FYI.
 

Bondo

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I have a B3. Haven’t looked at SEI in years. They use to be not so great. Don’t know if they have stepped up their quality.
Ayuh,.... They have those for 4 grand,....
 

Amraha

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I also have the same issue, but it seems by adopting the given suggestions I can recover it!
 

pursuit2460

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Dang, a bravo expert

my bad
Let me know when you find a outdrive that exploded because it was hard to shift into gear. This might be my first B3 but I have had boats for 25+ years. So yeah, your bad.
 
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pursuit2460

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If needed could just replace the upper
Yeah, I briefly look around for an upper and it’s about $1,500 more than a gear set. There’s always options on which route to take. For now it’s shifting a lot better than when I bought it. I would say it’s a tad bit harder to shift than my previous outboard.
 

pursuit2460

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I also have the same issue, but it seems by adopting the given suggestions I can recover it!
As of right now it’s shifting a lot better. Almost like my other outboard. So since it did get a lot better I will just use it and revisit next season/year. S. Florida is always in season. It seems I need a new gear. My outdrive engages without issue and boat move F/R, no throttle needed. I have read of it engaging and the boat doesn’t move because the cone clutch is slipping. I can do the sandpaper trick to the clutch and check but seems the gear set has wear that is causing the harder than normal shift. And it sucks because the gears looked great. No chips, burrs, etc.
 

dubs283

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Let me know when you find a outdrive that exploded because it was hard to shift into gear. This might be my first B3 but I have had boats for 25+ years. So yeah, your bad.
I never said anything about a drive exploding, those are your words. I've never seen a drive just explode, this isn't the movies. I have seen major external damage due to underwater strikes, but again no explosions

I always take a pragmatic approach to troubleshooting and repair as do many others that post here a lot of whom have provided very sound information and advice that you've decided to ignore, but that's your choice and you go with it

Getting back to your issue, no drive explosions can be foreseen due to your issue however I have seen more than a handful of bravo uppers that lock in gear after experiencing hard/stiff shifting and no analysis of internals were performed. Cone clutch will force weld itself into the gear clutch race and I've never been able to get one apart. So, good luck with the shifting issue hope it goes okay for ya
 

pursuit2460

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I never said anything about a drive exploding, those are your words. I've never seen a drive just explode, this isn't the movies. I have seen major external damage due to underwater strikes, but again no explosions

I always take a pragmatic approach to troubleshooting and repair as do many others that post here a lot of whom have provided very sound information and advice that you've decided to ignore, but that's your choice and you go with it

Getting back to your issue, no drive explosions can be foreseen due to your issue however I have seen more than a handful of bravo uppers that lock in gear after experiencing hard/stiff shifting and no analysis of internals were performed. Cone clutch will force weld itself into the gear clutch race and I've never been able to get one apart. So, good luck with the shifting issue hope it goes okay for ya
Well, by you say to save up for a drive sounds like you can foresee the future of a drive that’s going to break. As for the advice, I haven’t chosen to ignore it. When you ignore something you refuse to pay attention or disregard the issue. I am not refusing to pay attention as in never fixing the issue. Since the shifting has gotten considerably better and just about the same a an outboard shifting, I choose for the moment to use it. The hard shift I had is gone, so the chances of the clutch welding together like you said from a hard shift it not likely possible. If it happens, oh well, replace the gears and life goes on. It’s not like I replace the cables and still had a hard shift. If I did then I would have moved on to the next step in figuring out the issue. That’s how you diagnose things, not throw parts at it and hope it works. I am sure luck has nothing to do with it. But trust me that life will go on. This isn’t the last B3 in existence.
 

dubs283

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The hard shift I had is gone
Why post a question?

the chances of the clutch welding together like you said from a hard shift it not likely possible
Okay, I've seen it multiple times but your shift issue was resolved prior to your OP

It’s not like I replace the cables and still had a hard shift.
Again, why post a question?

If I did then I would have moved on to the next step in figuring out the issue. That’s how you diagnose things, not throw parts at it and hope it works.
Uh huh, not like you did with the cables and "fine" adjustment. I can troubleshoot

I am sure luck has nothing to do with it. But trust me that life will go on.
How existential

And oh well replacing the gears is something not easily done. Enjoy!
 

pursuit2460

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Why post a question?


Okay, I've seen it multiple times but your shift issue was resolved prior to your OP


Again, why post a question?


Uh huh, not like you did with the cables and "fine" adjustment. I can troubleshoot


How existential

And oh well replacing the gears is something not easily done. Enjoy!
Reading comprehension isn't your strong point, is it?
The hard shift I had, as in the way I got the boat. Now it's way less. I was asking if it was still normal for some force to be applied. With me so far? Same goes for your 3rd response. The cable, the one coming off the control box/throttle, were off by millimeters, I don't think it being off that much would change anything. And by mm's, I mean 3-5, just say so you don't get lost with what I am saying and go off the deep end. The shift cable to the outdrive was perfect, with the pinned barrel or with the adjustable barrel. no "fine" adjustment was needed. And whether the gears are easy or not to replace is non of my concern. I will either try doing it, pay someone to do it, or buy a new upper or complete drive. Maybe next time I will post pictures and videos so you can understand better. You're reading too much into everything and analyzing this like it a space shuttle. It's just a B3 outdrive. Once again life will go on. Enjoy
 
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