My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

[Blown57Ford]

I have an in and out mercruiser with a v8 engine. It starts fine idles well but after I back off the dock and put it in neutral it dies? Even after its warmed up and im pulling up to the dock , if i switch to neutral it will die and i will have to keep starting it over and over again. This has been posing a problem while trying to ski. everytime !! anybody got any ideas? thanks guys11

 

[lilmandavis]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

carb problem? what is this v8 idleing at? is it spraying fuel in through the carb when given throttle? tuneup? is it injected? what year? how big a boat?

 

[Blown57Ford]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

1978 fantasy trihull 19 ft could it be the shift cable going bad or inadvertently messing with the shift interupter?

 

[Don S]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

Yes, you PROBABLY have a bad shift cable. Get it replaced and adjusted "Per The Book" (aka Mercruiser service manual, not aftermarket) .
Look at the Y arm on the shift plate and have someone shift the boat from fwd or rev to Neutral. If the arm stays up more than half a second, then there is something binding. Most likely the cable.

 

[aggiedave98]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

Been there, done that. Had it dying on me for a few years in reverse and thought it was the carb, etc. It was the shift cable. Finally found this board and figured it out.

 

[Blown57Ford]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

Yes, you PROBABLY have a bad shift cable. Get it replaced and adjusted "Per The Book" (aka Mercruiser service manual, not aftermarket) .
Look at the Y arm on the shift plate and have someone shift the boat from fwd or rev to Neutral. If the arm stays up more than half a second, then there is something binding. Most likely the cable.

 

[Mahoney]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

This might be a stupid question, but I had the same issue and it had nothing to do with my shifting, but my aircleaner got pretty dirty and starting it and idleing was not a problem, but the transition from slight throttle in forward and reverse back to idle and neutral was starving it for air long enough to kill it.

 

[Mahoney]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

I guess that really wasn't a question, but a suggestion to check

 

[b00tstrap]

Re: My Engine Dies when shifting to neutral? HELP!!!!

I found this very helpful, cured a problem I had that was just like yours..

http://www.outdriveshop.com/replace_alpha_shiftcable.html