4.3 Liter with slow shift

linuxusr

Cadet
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
20
Greetings everyone
I have a small issue this spring. My 4.3 OMC isn't shifting into forward as easily as it used to. I take the lever out of top dead center moving forward. Normally once it moves about 2 - 3 inches forward, it will shift into gear and at that point begin to apply fuel to the carb and make to boat go. But now it doesn't always go into forward right away and might take up to 5 seconds of gently rocking the throttle back and forth about a 1/2 a inch to get it to shift. If I just apply to throttle is will go into forward but it slams it into gear because the throttle is up with a loud "ping" sound when it pops into gear. This is a intermittent issue, but it does worry me. I am hoping this is just a out of adjustment cable. The only thing I performed maintenance wise to the outdrive this spring was changing the gear oil.

Thank you for any assistance you can give is greatly appreciated.
Clayton
 

cr2k

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
3,730
Re: 4.3 Liter with slow shift

Could be your control box needs some love. (lube maintenance) or your lower shift cable has gone bad.
 

tractorboy

Seaman
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
60
Re: 4.3 Liter with slow shift

Hmmm cables stretched a bit? Maybe adjust cables at engine bay
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,581
Re: 4.3 Liter with slow shift

Lower shift cable has probably failed. Tilt up your drive and look at the cable housing where it enters the drive on the starboard side. That is where they usually fail.
 
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