Shift Cable Adjustment

[JimEd B]

Greetings all,

I've got a 3.0LX with a Sterndrive Engineering drive on the back. I have been around the moon trying to get this thing to shift correctly. Just replaced shift bracket (upgraded to the bracket that mounts to the starboard side of the engine due to faulty / obsolete cut out from my MC-1 bracket) also replaced the lower cable.

I just muscled the drive back on, and adjusted the shift cable per recommendation. 6 inches pushed in on the lower, matched the upper while pulling to remove slack, turned barrel away x 4.

With engine off, sitting on the trailer spinning prop by hand: When I shift into reverse, the prop is firmly locked in gear. When I shift into Neutral it spins free. When I shift forward, it clicks but doesn't lock up. I fiddled with it, but I can only seem to get it to lock up firmly in one direction or the other, not both.

This is bad, right?

If I reach into the gimbal, and put pressure on the shift shaft, it locks up tight in both directions.

I'm thinking maybe the shift lever bushings are bad or something? Is play normal at the shift lever on the drive?

I'm really not looking forward to wrestling that thing again.

 

[Bt Doctur]

also replaced the lower cable.

Did you install it with less than 2 threads visable?
Is the slide set screw just snug?

 

[JimEd B]

Hmm, I'm not sure about visible threads? Where exactly am I looking for those? On the lower shift cable at the bracket?

I believe the slide set screw is correct.

 

[crazy charlie]

Greetings all,

I've got a 3.0LX with a Sterndrive Engineering drive on the back. I have been around the moon trying to get this thing to shift correctly. Just replaced shift bracket (upgraded to the bracket that mounts to the starboard side of the engine due to faulty / obsolete cut out from my MC-1 bracket) also replaced the lower cable.

I just muscled the drive back on, and adjusted the shift cable per recommendation. 6 inches pushed in on the lower, matched the upper while pulling to remove slack, turned barrel away x 4.

With engine off, sitting on the trailer spinning prop by hand: When I shift into reverse, the prop is firmly locked in gear. When I shift into Neutral it spins free. When I shift forward, it clicks but doesn't lock up. I fiddled with it, but I can only seem to get it to lock up firmly in one direction or the other, not both.

This is bad, right?

If I reach into the gimbal, and put pressure on the shift shaft, it locks up tight in both directions.

I'm thinking maybe the shift lever bushings are bad or something? Is play normal at the shift lever on the drive?

I'm really not looking forward to wrestling that thing again.

Did you do your wrestling with the helm shifter in full fwd? Charlie

 

[JimEd B]

I did it with the lower shift cable disconnected from the shift plate, and the cable pushed forward so the shift lever would line up.

With cable disconnected from shift bracket I'm able to put the boat in and out of both gears by moving the cable the cable and rotating prop with my foot.

I just found the travel spec for the upper shift cable 3 inch +/- 1/8 travel. Wondering if that didn't stretch too. In my head that could cause the issues I'm experiencing. Will check tomorrow.