Help with shifting problems

[gshldon]

Just a quick question,
I just got my mercruiser 898, alpha 1 stern drive reinstalled, the problem is that it shifts into forward and locks the propellar and onto nuetral, but when i shift it into reverse the propeller acts like it is in nuetral, could that just be a cable adjustment issue.

Thanks for the help

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Help with shifting problems

If it worked before and all you did was install the drive then I`d say it was installed wrong.The wheel on the shift arm may have gotton dislodged where it goes into the slide.
Page 2A-16
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6A2R3.PDF

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

update***** i removed the sterndrive again and when i did the the wheel was in the slide, so i reinstalled the drive and now i am having the same issue, i adjusted the cable and now when in reverse and i spin the prop i just hear some clicking like the gears are almost engaging, is this just a more of a cable adjustment, i have the cable adjust almost to the end and not much adjustment left. any and all help would be appreciated.

Thanks and happy boating

 

[ziggy]

Re: Help with shifting problems

could you shift the drive with it off. getting fwd, neu. and rev. if not, there's a problem in the drive somewhere.

with the drive on. the shift cable disconnected from the shift plate inside the boat. can you move the shift cable nice and smooth with a couple of fingers and obtain f,n,r... if not smooth and easy to operate or you can't obtain fnr, i'd think the shift cable would be suspect.

i suppose there could be other issues too, but that's a couple that i think ya might check..

edit, oh, ya got the proper 6'' span between barrels in fwd. on the shift cable when it's mounted to the shift plate..

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

thanks ziggy for the reply, everything worked great in the lower unit when it was of and before i removed the outdrive,i think i will take a look at the cable again and make sure everything there is in proper alignment.
Just getting very frustrated as i want to be on the lake and i cant.

Thanks again for the help

 

[Bondo]

Re: Help with shifting problems

Ayuh,... It sounds like you put it together in Neutral, Not Forward...

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

No it was in forward as the prop was ingaged when i out the drive back on and didnt move at all, if i adjust the cable to the end of the threaded adjustment and put it in reverse the prop will spin and then engage and if i apply a little pressure it will spin and just click.

any suggestions

 

[Bondo]

Re: Help with shifting problems

everything worked great in the lower unit when it was of and before i removed the outdrive,

Ayuh,... Plain,+ Simply,... Somewhere along the way,... You screwed up....
Otherwise, the cable would Not need Adjusting....

Put the cable adjustments back to where they were,...
Remove the drive, disassemble to where you were,...
Then start over...

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

does it matter if left hand rotation as to taking it appart? meaning should it be in reverse instead of forward or does that not matter

 

[ziggy]

Re: Help with shifting problems

everything worked great in the lower unit when it was off (?) and before i removed the outdrive

i saw that and it left me wondering.
gshldon, did you have the upper and lower separated? if so, what bondo's saying would be most plausible at that point. i don't know if this is true or not, but i'd think the shift shaft coupler on the upper would be pointing the wrong direction if you have the timing off when the lower and upper were mated. the shift shaft coupler should point straight ahead when in fwd. it swings to port and mine seems to turn about 70 or 80* to be in full rev. does yours do that gshldon? the coupler must be faceing fwd when in fwd gear.

ya, put the cable to spec in the book. i went and looked and it's 6". you do have a book don't you gshldon.

i don't know anything about the counter rotateing drive other than it must take place in the lower since there's a section of #6 devoted to counter rotating gear housing..

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

Ziggy,

Thanks for all th info, yes i did split the upper and lower cases and replace the shift shaft as it was bent slightly and i couldnt get it back together before, yes it point straight forward when in gear, but it only turns to the port about 30 degrees or so when it is in reverse, if that is not enought i am not sure how that changed as i never did anything with the gears in the lower unit. and when i unhook the shift cable from the engine and pull on it as hard as i can it still wont go all the way into reverse, it starts to go in and then with a little pressure on the prop it will spin free so it is not engaging all the way, forward works great and the cable is really smooth, so i am not sure where to go from here, anything else you can think of would be great,

And yes i do have the manual for the engine and the out drive as well and i have gone over the manual several times trying to figure it out

 

[ziggy]

Re: Help with shifting problems

put your cable back to spec. it don't sound like that's the issue.
i guess the question to me now is was the lower in fwd, with the prop locked ccw and loaded so the shift shaft in the lower didn't move. if so, when mated to the upper. was the shift shaft coupler pointing fwd when mated.

does the shift shaft coupler turn starboard at all?

the criteria to be met is.
fwd. prop locks ccw and ratchets cw, coupler facing fwd.
neu. the prop freewheels and makes no noise at all.
rev. prop locks cw and ratchets ccw.

if you can't achieve this by moving the shift shaft coupler in the upper. separating the halves is next. just like bondo says.. btw, i've learned a lot by listening to him.

fwiw. this is a pic of my 1 drive. prealpha. i think yours will look different but the idea is the same.

this coupler is in neu. it turns that much again towards port to get rev. when it's facing forward, it's in fwd.

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

Thanks again Ziggy,

mine looks really simular to that and no it does not turn to starboard at all, only to port and then in the middle when in gear, i know it was in forward when the stern was installed, and it worked great last year, and it does lock ccw ratchits cw when in forward, spins free all directions when in nuetral and almost locks cw and ratchits ccw when try reverse.

It is like the gears are just not engaging 100% when going into reverse.

I guess i am going to have to take and split the stern drive in halve again and try to reinstall it again.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Help with shifting problems

yes i did split the upper and lower cases and replace the shift shaft as it was bent slightly and i couldnt get it back together before,

Ayuh,... My Guess is,.. You're Off by 1 tooth on the splines....

 

[cooter2506]

Re: Help with shifting problems

I agree with bondo I did same thing last year had to spin shift shaft by hand to get forward and reinstal lower onto upper. worked fine after that

 

[gshldon]

Re: Help with shifting problems

hello all,

here is an update on my problem, i checked everything and have found the following:
with the motor trimmed up all the way and i place it in reverse and spin the prop it only only clicks, BUT if i push on the the upper shift shaft with a screw driver then it locks into reverse just fine, is there an adjustment on the shift cable slide or what is the next step, it seems as though it is not quite pulling the shift shaft far enough, it is only off by about 1/8 inch

I am stuck