Please bear with me and read though this so you can understand the history of this boat. I recently purchased a 1987 Sea Ray 270 Sundancer. When I purchased the boat, the boat was on a trailer and could not be run in the water. It was winter time and the PO did not want to go through the hassles of draining all the water out of the system so the engine would not freeze up. The PO started the starboard motor, however when he tried to start the portside motor the engine flooded and would not start. The PO repeatedly assured me that everything was mechanically ok on the boat, including the motor, outdrives, trim tabs, etc., so I purchased it. When the PO delivered the boat he suggested I join the IBoats and Club SeaRay forums as I would get a lot of useful information pertaining to my boat. I followed his advice. As I was browsing through the forums, I was surprised to see a picture of my boat! Reading the thread, I discovered that when the PO purchased the boat that he sold me, the shift cables were disconnected from the starboard engine, he hooked them back up, but the engine would not shift in and out of gear. In fact, a person working at the marina where he stored the boat, who was helping him, pushed on the shift lever so hard he broke a gear in the control unit, which my PO welded and put the control unit back together (in case you?re wondering, the starboard control unit is still messed up, but that will be the topic of another string). Here is a link to the previous thread, dated Nov 29, 2009
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=365240
After reading the thread I called my PO and questioned him about it, he assured me that he had fixed the problem, and everything was ok with the motor and outdrive. I then checked the motor and found that the shift cables were still not hooked up. I hooked them up and guess what? The starboard engine still would not shift in or out of gear!
HMMM?.
After that I pulled the drive and this is what I found:
Everything works freely when moving them with the drive disconnected (as was stated in my PO?s thread). This included the control box, control box cable, the cable from the shift linkage on the engine going to the outdrive, and even the outdrive itself.
However, this is what I found:
When the shift shoe is in position to receive the shift foot on the outdrive the shift lever is in the position shown in the picture. The only way the shift lever can move is to rotate counter clockwise (See Image 453).
On the outdrive, I found this:
The outdrive is in position to be connected to the gimble housing, the shift foot will slip into the shoe, however, the only way the shift foot can rotate is clockwise (See Images 465, 469). Once inserted, the whole shift unit locks up because the shift arm can only turn counter clockwise, while the drive can only turn clockwise.
My question to those more knowledgeable then me is this: which part is messed up, and how do I fix it?
Please respond.
Thank You.
BSHUMM
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=365240
After reading the thread I called my PO and questioned him about it, he assured me that he had fixed the problem, and everything was ok with the motor and outdrive. I then checked the motor and found that the shift cables were still not hooked up. I hooked them up and guess what? The starboard engine still would not shift in or out of gear!
HMMM?.
After that I pulled the drive and this is what I found:
Everything works freely when moving them with the drive disconnected (as was stated in my PO?s thread). This included the control box, control box cable, the cable from the shift linkage on the engine going to the outdrive, and even the outdrive itself.
However, this is what I found:
When the shift shoe is in position to receive the shift foot on the outdrive the shift lever is in the position shown in the picture. The only way the shift lever can move is to rotate counter clockwise (See Image 453).
On the outdrive, I found this:
The outdrive is in position to be connected to the gimble housing, the shift foot will slip into the shoe, however, the only way the shift foot can rotate is clockwise (See Images 465, 469). Once inserted, the whole shift unit locks up because the shift arm can only turn counter clockwise, while the drive can only turn clockwise.
My question to those more knowledgeable then me is this: which part is messed up, and how do I fix it?
Please respond.
Thank You.
BSHUMM
