Installed a new transom shift cable on my '89 4.3L Cobra. I've got the OEM service manaul, a clymers manusal, and all of Stuarts stuff printed out. <br /><br />Thought I did everything correctly but then I put drive back on & tried to do the 5 point Engine Shift Bracket Adjustment. After setting forward gear enganement (step 2) found that gears weren't releasing to neutral when I shifted back into neutral at the helm.<br /><br />Gonna take the drive off again and recheck, but after looking all my materials over I realize that I might not be clear on correctly positioning the shift cable guide at the transom housing before setting the 7 5/8" measurement at the casing guide in the engine compartment.<br /><br />I don't have a Cobra alignment plate, so used the old instructions and a straignt edge to set what I thought was the lower vertical edge of the guide tab flush with the pivot housing gasket surface. But now I'm not sure I was aligning the right thing. Basically, I put the straight edge against the casing just under the shift cable guide & pulled it out until what I thought was the guide tab hit the straight edge. But Rodbolt & Phillp A. both mentioned using a T square to set the bellcrank at a 90 degree angle to the machine surface. Is this an alternative and easier way to set the cable guide in the right position than using the 'guide tab' on the cable guide? <br /><br />I know I'm probably overly complicating something, or missing someting obvious, but really want to get it right (was smart enough to buy an extra gasket, but only 1 extra so need to get it correct this time).<br /><br />Couple of other questions if I might:<br /><br />1) Didn't refill the drive with oil yet, would that make any attempt to adust shifting much more difficult if it's dry?<br /><br />2)Biggest problem I had (other than above) was when connecting the 'cable nut' to the back of the pivot housing after I had replaced the cable. Basically, seemed like the entire cable jacket needed to turn inside the rubber when tightening. Very tough to get it lined up to start (I had the pivot housing off & no helper) and even if I did get it started cleanly, it seemed like it would be difficult to tighten with the cable already installed, and create the possibility of introducing kinks in the cable since it would be spinning around in the hose so many times. Is that how it's supposed to be? I found it easier to pull the cable back out, connect it to the back of the pivot housing (which was itself disconected) and then rethread the now attached cable from the back of the transom into the bilge. Did I miss something there?<br /><br />3) Didn't have an adapter to measure the torque on the 6 lock nuts when I reconnected the outdrive to the transom. I followed the correct pattern (as per manual) and tightened in several stages, but cranked it down pretty tight with my box wrench. Is it possible to tighten those bolts too much (I can see the gasket squeezing out a bit between the drive & the pivot housing casing)? <br /><br />Thanks for any help, I'd really like to get this fixed today. On my way to repull the drive right now.<br /><br />(btw, I did split the drives & measure the shift rod height; it was correct)
