shifting cable replacement

[zacktirie]

I have an alpha 1 generation 1 outdrive connected to my mercruiser 120. I have gone through the whole engine and have gotten it to run really well. I am now into getting the stern drive functioning properly but the shift cable that goes through the transom is sticking and wont move. The upper gear housing spins freely with the engine when running so its obviously in neutral. My question is to replace the shift cable to I have to take the whole stern drive off?...or should I remove the lower gear housing first? I just dont want to take all of that stuff apart if I dont have to. Or can I take off the lower gear housing and then check the shift cable? All of the manuals I have are extremely vague on this topic. Thank you in advance for your help.

Also, all of the instructions say to ensure that the stern drive is in forward when removing but that is not an option for me since the cable is frozen. What will happen if I try to remove the stern drive in neutral as opposed to forward?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: shifting cable replacement

damage will result if not in fwd. you can cut the shift cable just behind the boot, then manually put it in fwd by moving the shoe in a straight line,remove the drive, and then remove the remains with a thin wall extra deep 9/16 ths socket.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: shifting cable replacement

instructions say to ensure that the stern drive is in forward when removing but that is not an option for me since the cable is frozen. What will happen if I try to remove the stern drive in neutral as opposed to forward?

The other option is to split the outdrive. Once you remove the gear housing (lower half) you can remove the driveshaft housing (upper) in any gear. You should remove the entire outdrive to check the gimbal bearing for smoothness and to check and lube the universal joints.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: shifting cable replacement

To clarify what BTDR said in a rookie[ like myself ]form. What he means is cut the cable between the transom and front of the bell housing. Just aft of the little shift cable boot/bellow. Before I did that tho, I would get down underneath where the brass foot comes out of the lower unit , and try to get it in fwd with a screwdriver. it should be coupled with the intermediate shift shat that comes down out of the bell housing. If its actually in nuetral they both should be in approx the 1100 oclock position, if you were looking down from above. Straight ahead is 1200, thats where the foot should be pointing to be in fwd so the lower shift shaft will slide out of the intermediate shift when you pull the outdrive [upper and lower together ] off the bellhousing..If that failed , then I would cut the cable. then again get down there and manually move it to fwd with a screwdriver or somethong. BTW 1000 posion is rev. If you try to take the drive off with in in nuet or rev , sumtns probably gonna get bent, Now you can acess the 9/16 brass nut. Thats the inner part of the cable inside of the bellhousing ya need a long thin socket. you can make one or buy a special one. If its too thick walled [the socket]you can crack the bell-housing, causing much grief.
That will get ya started.. To summarize, the drive , upper and lower, has to come off the bellhousing, but that's it. Disconnect the aft end of the trim rams and the 6 5/8ths nuts and pull the drive.

 

[72seastar]

Re: shifting cable replacement

what exactly is that little neck thing doing in there? how does it make it shift? i had issues with my shift cable too and i forgot to put it in forward by the controls at the helm but i had the shift cable completely unhooked from the plate on the engine so it wouldnt have done me much good anyway i assume it moved freely on its own cause nothing looked to bent up except the shift cable itself where i had bent it changing the upper bellows tube.... forward and neutral gears have worked fine since ive owned the boat but reverse is kinda funny....

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: shifting cable replacement

what exactly is that little neck thing doing in there? how does it make it shift? i had issues with my shift cable too and i forgot to put it in forward by the controls at the helm but i had the shift cable completely unhooked from the plate on the engine so it wouldnt have done me much good anyway i assume it moved freely on its own cause nothing looked to bent up except the shift cable itself where i had bent it changing the upper bellows tube.... forward and neutral gears have worked fine since ive owned the boat but reverse is kinda funny....

Hey bud You should start your own thread with your questions... You will get better , more precise answers to your inquiry. Tacking your own questions on somebodies else s thread is called a hijack Its kinda bad etiquette and somewhat frowned upon Its all good tho, plenty of help here .. just re ask your question directly

 

[zacktirie]

Re: shifting cable replacement

Thanks guys that is going to give me a great start when I start working on this tomorrow! Since I'm really trying to simply isolate the problem before completely taking everything apart, I want to be clear...So if I unscrew the bottom housing and the shift cable still doesn't move then the problem is the shift cable...but if I remove the bottom housing and the shift cable still won't move the problem is definitely the shift cable. Does the bottom housing drop right off?...or is their some trickyness to it? I've had a lot of other boats in the past but this is my firs i/o and I like to work on things myself to save some change so your guys' input is really appreciated and hopefully saving me some fundage!

 

[zacktirie]

Re: shifting cable replacement

To summarize: removing the bottom housing seems like the quickest route to some real answers. Im just concerned that the gears could be shredded or that their could be a major problem inside the stern drive...if thats the case then I'm going to replace it and I won't have to worry as much about damaging it. I'm just hoping to get the boat into the water a couple of times before summers end. I plan on servicing everything completely come winter but I need to get out on the water; I'm fiending. All my fellow mariners know what I mean!