1972 Mercruiser 165 Shifting Issue

[998cc]

MC-1 outdrive: I just got this boat on the water for the first time this past weekend and found that it runs well. The only problem is with shifting into reverse--it takes quite a bit ot lever travel from Forward to Reverse, and it will only grind when getting close to engaging reverse. Forward works just fine. The shift mechanism was so far out of adjustment originally, the throttle lever would not travel much past the neutral (vertical) position. I knew this was coming.

Over the course of the rebuild, I did put a new water pump in the lower unit and believe I got the shift shaft properly aligned with the "foot". When installing the reassembled outdrive, I placed the shift/throttle lever in Forward, pointed the shift "foot" on the outdrive forward while holding the CCW pressure on the propeller shaft; this allowed the "foot" to point straight ahead. The outdrive then slid in and was bolted up.

1. Could there be a problem with my assembly?
2. Where does one start with setting up the shift linkage mechanisms?
3. Are there preliminary ballpark settings?
4. Any other ideas?


Thanks!
998cc

 

[alldodge]

Re: 1972 Mercruiser 165 Shifting Issue

You either have a worn lower shift cable or it is way out of adjustment. Looks like you installed the drive correctly and fixing the shift should fix the rest. There is a bunch of stuff in the Adults section about adjusting your shift cable. You can also have a look here and let us know if it does not answer your questions

Mercruiser Alpha Shift cable adjustment - YouTube

 

[998cc]

Re: 1972 Mercruiser 165 Shifting Issue

Thanks. Chris' video answered most of my questions. (Thank you Chris!) Thankfully, per the video, the distances have preset values. I also have a better understanding of how the slot works.

The lower cable is new; the original was rusted tight right at the point where it exited the shift cable bellows. It must have been one of the reasons the original owner let the boat go. Someone tried in vain to adjust it which put it in the condition it's in now.

Will post results later this week.

Thanks!!