Hanging In Gear

[Sabbath]

Hey all.

Got a 1977 Chrysler 115hp outboard, currently having problems with the shift:

It will go into gear fine, both forward and reverse no problems, but when it comes to shifting it back to Neutral, it hangs in gear for up to 5 seconds before shifting.

Is this worn gears in the box? Cable adjustment?

Is there anything i can adjust in the cables, and if so, how do i do it?

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[jason32038]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Does it hang when shifting into neutral from both forward and reverse?

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Does it hang when shifting into neutral from both forward and reverse?

Mainly from reverse from memory

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Need to check the RPM's Too high will make it hard to shift out.750-800
Oil in the lower unit for chunks.
Worn gears(dog) usually makes it pop out of gear.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Check the distributor drive belt. If it is too tight, the engine will have trouble coming out of gear. An .010 feeler gauge should depress the belt about 3/16 inch in the center before bending.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Check the distributor drive belt. If it is too tight, the engine will have trouble coming out of gear. An .010 feeler gauge should depress the belt about 3/16 inch in the center before bending.

View attachment 128951View attachment 128952

Thanks JerryJerry and Frank.

Annoyingly, somebody seems to have pinched my feeler gauges so i need to go and get a new set before i can test. In the meantime, this is where the Neutral Interlock switch sits when the control is in it's Neutral "click"

Location of centre of switch marked by screwdriver

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Hanging In Gear

The neutral interlock switch has no effect on shifting or position of the shift linkage. Its only job is to prevent the starter solenoid from energising when the engine is NOT in neutral.

If the linkage and the lower unit are both in neutral in the photo with the screwdriver AND if you have trouble with it not starting, simply loosen the two screws and center the cam on the white button. That's why the shift arm is slotted.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

The neutral interlock switch has no effect on shifting or position of the shift linkage. Its only job is to prevent the starter solenoid from energising when the engine is NOT in neutral.

If the linkage and the lower unit are both in neutral in the photo with the screwdriver AND if you have trouble with it not starting, simply loosen the two screws and center the cam on the white button. That's why the shift arm is slotted.

No trouble starting as such, i just thought maybe it was a sign of there being some adjustment needed/available with the two nuts under the lower carb.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Measured the amount of play in the belt, it was roughly 2/16th's of an inch. Do you think i should loosen it off a touch so it's looser?

Also, when it comes to draining and filling the leg oil, which of these screws is the fill screw?

Thanks again

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Hanging In Gear

The shift cable adjustment determines the position of the shift lever. The two nuts under the carb adjust the up and down location of the shift rod. They will not change the position of the lever. They are, however used to adjust neutral position of the lower unit.

At 1/8 inch, the belt is OK. Too tight and the distributor will not move freely. This causes the square tab on the shift arm to hit the limiting tab on the timing tower when the engine is pulled out of gear. You would see the drag marks on them. IF the grease on the distributor mount is hardened, it will cause the same problem. The cure is to remove the top pulley, remove the top circlip and pull down the distributor. Then clean the body of the mounting and the distributor. Reassemble and grease.

Usually there is a fill and vent cast right next to the plugs. I don't see it on yours. However, this is the kind of thing I don't remember and I am not dressed to go outside and look. I THINK the front is fill and the rear is vent. It is not critical though. What IS critical is the method of filling.

WITH THE ENGINE VERTICAL: Open all three plugs and let the oil drain from the bottom. Close the bottom plug and pump oil in through the fill until it issues from the vent. Let stand for about 1/2 hour to let air rise then top off again until oil issues from the vent. Now close both tightly.

The engine must be filled vertically because the top tapered roller bearing is right at the fill/vent level. There is no pumping action to raise oil to this bearing. If there is too much air in the case, the top bearing will starve for oil.

These gearcases have a large chamber from the fill plug to the bottom and the vent chamber has a web near the bottom with a small hole (about 3/16) in it. Filling through the vent will simply take longer but the whole lower unit will fill no matter which hole you use.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Thanks again Frank.

Drained the oil yesterday and am halfway through re-filling the oil. Oil was milky, but was free of any chunks or shavings. Grease on the distributor mount is still in good condition. Im going to check exactly when it's shifting later on today.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Another question:

I want to service the steering arm, relube the tube etc. I've seen tutorials using white lithium spray to lubricate it, but looking at mine, i've got a grease nipple so im wondering if i need to regrease it from there, or if i can just dis-assemble and clean and use white lithium. Or, if i can lubricate it with marine grease without using the nipple as i dont have a grease gun?

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

Alright, so this is where im currently at:

When you advance the throttle lever, the shift rod goes down, and then the throttle arm comes across the top of it. It doesnt bind on the shift arm at all in either F or R. I havent adjusted it at all, and this is how it was shifting out on the water when it was hanging.

Any ideas?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Hanging In Gear

That's the way it was designed. Shift arm moves first then the throttle arm moves. There is very little clearance between them. If the Clamp for the throttle or the shift is too loose OR if the screws are too tall, they will bind on each other.

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Hanging In Gear

So, i found that it was sticking in reverse, and wasnt engaging neutral properly. So i moved the shift rod up, by the two nuts under the lower carb, and got it to a stage where it would go from neutral to reverse, and then would go from neutral to forward but would then bind if i tried to go to reverse. No matter, because i would just kill the throttle coming into the dock, leg up and tie off as i drifted in.

Ended up almost losing the swivel off the end of the shift rod trying to adjust out on the water when it fell in by the exhaust tube, so fishing that out while hanging off the back of the splashwell was great fun.

It isnt going to WOT properly.....but still had some fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APIhiAHSXGA&list=UUXwCh1JHtAF9IRiltNhSEXQ&index=2&feature=plcp