Bravo 2 shifting questions

[loun]

I am working on a new to me boat with a 2001 7.4 MPI and Bravo 2 drive. Repair cost was factored into the deal.

I am not sure if my drive has a problem or just the shift cable is a problem. The symptom is that it is hard to shift the drive into forward or reverse. I pulled the drive (wow is it heavy, I am used to my Alpha drive) and have it on my workbench. I plan on changing the bellows.

I remember reading somewhere that the Bravo 2 should not be shifted when the engine is not running, but I can't find this statement in the manual.

With the drive on the bench how much effort or force should be required to move the shift mechanism in and out of gear? Should I be turning the input shaft as I am shifting?

Thanks
Lou

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

Howdy,

Have a look above at
ADULTs ONLY -------------------------No Exceptions-----

I remember reading somewhere that the Bravo 2 should not be shifted when the engine is not running, but I can't find this statement in the manual.

You probably should start reading the following publication.....It should have all the info on a 2001+ Bravo II

http://www-alt.mercurymarine.com/mnetdata/SERVICE/CRUISER/Servmanl/28/28cover.pdf


Shift problems are frequently the lower shift cable, shift plate/linkage, throttle/shift cables etc....they are less frequently in the drive but it's not impossible considering that some people don't check the drive oil (ever)



Regards,



Rick

 

[loun]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

Additional information: the first thing that I did was to change the gear oil, the oil that I drained out was definitely used, there was no water or metal chips in it and it did not smell burnt. The new gear lube did not help the hard shifting

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

An easy way to check the shift cable on a bravo is to remove the drive and operate the shift system.

You can operate the shift mechanism while hand turning the yoke. It won't be real easy to do it by hand. You'll have to use a pair of pliers to carefully push/pull the shift linkage. It only moves an inch or 2 back and forth so it takes a fair amount of force to move it. Once the drive is removed the cables should move fairly easy.


There is a troubleshooting section in Mercury manual (#28) page 1C-3 titled:

Drive Unit Shifts Hard
NOTE:For additional information on troubleshooting, refer to SECTION 2A and see ?Troubleshooting Shift Problems.?

If you have cables that are "free & easy" you may have an internal problem in the drive...

 

[loun]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

It looks like some water did get into the shift area where the cable attaches to the lever. Am I correct in thinking that this would be most likely be caused by a bad seal between the drive and the bell housing? If the shift bellows fails water enters the boat and not this area?

Lou

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

I believe that's correct. You can see the list of parts and pictures below at Doug Russell Parts. Any search-able Mercury parts source will have these pictures and lists. Have your drive serial number handy.

You have 2 "O-rings" one round and another that's not round. The round one seals the shift linkage.

#4 in the first picture below (From Doug Russell Parts) is the O-ring that would keep water out of the shift linkage area.

#24 in the second picture is your shift bellows.


If it's a salt water boat and it was stored in the water that whole area might be corroded badly enough to need to disassemble and repair.

I'll throw in a plug here for pulling the drive once a year (those O-rings get replaced every year that way) so you can look for water intrusion in the U-joint shift linkage area etc..... (you've seen that it's not hard to pull the drive...)

The third pic shows the rear cover assy and shift components...where water might have gotten into....You might be able to see if water intrusion in there caused any damage...

 

[loun]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

Thanks for the pictures Rick, she is a freshwater boat so the corrosion is minimal.

Lou

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

Since you have the drive off the boat, have you went back and tried the shifter to see if it's still stiff or not?
Hate to see you spend a lot of money trying to fix something on the drive that wasn't wrong.

 

[loun]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

Don

I will try the shifter for stiffness this weekend.

With the drive on the bench it takes about 8-10 pounds of force to shift it. Should I be rotating the shaft while shifting?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

I can't remember if the Bravo service manual indicates how much force is too much to move it.... (Mine is covered by Mercury Manual #11) .... But when I had it off, it was no more than that to shift my Bravo III.

You probably should turn the yoke (in the correct direction too) while moving the shift lever. When I shifted mine "on the bench" I was turning the yoke and could easily feel when the drive was fully engaged in F, N, and R.

Do your cables move freely?

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

One other question for you. When you was trying to shift, you did have the engine running didn't you? Bravo's shift hard, if at all when not running.
You can check the shifting if the engine isn't running, but you have to have a helper turning the prop while you shift gears. If the prop stops, turn it the other way before trying to get it out of gear. But the prop shaft has to be turning, if the engine is not running.

 

[loun]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

When previously testing the shifting, the motor was running and it was hard to shift. Without the drive on the shifter is not stiff.

I replaced the bellows and shift cable today. The old cable had signs of some water getting into it.

I am hoping that with the new cable propely adjusted my problem will be solved. It will be a few weeks before I will have the time to get the drive reinstalled and test the shifting

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Bravo 2 shifting questions

If you think there was water intrusion into the shift linkage, it might be worth it to remove that backing plate (#1 in the last pic above) and have a look at the shift linkage.

If you do that you should probably replace the gasket (#2) when you put it back on.

Also, if you haven't already, take a good look at both cables from the shift quadrant for possible bend/kinks & breaks in the plastic covering...