86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

[fourwinnsdook]

I have an 86 four winns with an omc 4.3L in it. It goes into gear great, forward or reverse, the problem is once it's in either one i can't get it out. It only happens when the motor is running What is the problem? No grinding, rpms are around 700-800. It just gets stuck in either gear. As soon as i turn it off it's fine. PLEASE HELP!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

Your ESA is not functioning. Its purpose is to stumble the engine as you are shifting to allow the clutch dogs to be seperated. If you run on muffs, you won't see this problem becuase there is no load on the props.

Have you or someone else been adjusting the shift cables who doesn't know what they are doing?

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

I have adjusted the shift cables, but i made sure that the interupter switch and the mechanism was working. Maybe it came slightly out of adjustment, or maybe i just screwed up LOL!! It is working when i put it in gear, it just wouldn't work to take it out. How do i adjust for that? Maybe i have them to tight? Before i adjusted it it was doing the same thing but only when the wheele was turned. if the wheel was straight it was ok, But it was grinding when going into gear. I fixed the grinding, but made the other problem worse. i'm going to the lake this weekend where i can work on it. it's kinda hard in the river with the current/oyster bars/channels and huge boats. Any pointers would be great!

Thanks in advance.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

Your best bet would be to

1. Get a correct OEM service manual for that drive.

2. read THIS

actually.....do # 2 first.



Cheers,

Rick

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

It is really only needed going out of gear. You can test it my manually pressing on the microswitch and seeing your engine stumbles.

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

It goes one way when you put it in gear and it hits one switch which interupts, then when comming out of gear it hits the other switch which should interupt. I haven't checked to see if the other one is working. but i should be able to check that on land right?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

It goes one way when you put it in gear and it hits one switch which interupts, then when comming out of gear it hits the other switch which should interupt. I haven't checked to see if the other one is working. but i should be able to check that on land right?

Yes.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

yes & No.....you can check the switches.....

You cannot check it out of the water just by shifting.

The Electronic Shift Assist requires torque on the clutch dogs from being in gear, and in the water.

This force causes the system to activate when you pull in the throttle/shift to get it out of gear.... When you're out of the water there's very little force required from in-gear to out of gear since there's no load on the propeller.

The ESA should never activate going INTO gear.

It goes one way when you put it in gear and it hits one switch which interupts, then when comming out of gear it hits the other switch which should interupt. I haven't checked to see if the other one is working. but i should be able to check that on land right?

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

This is the second Cobra that i have owned, both have had an interupter switch when going into gear. One was a 94, and this one is an 86. They both are very similar. I can't physically check it at the shifter, but i can manually push the button while it's out of the water to check the switch itself. The mechinism is almost triangle shaped and when going into gear it rocks one way and hits the interupter switch in the bottom, when comming out of gear it is supposed to rock up and hit the other switch. Maybe it's not doing that?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

Incidentally,

If the ESA activates when going in or out of gear when NOT in the water, you may have a bad shift cable, something else binding in the drive, or both...

Either way the ESA should never activate from shifting when not in the water.

The hastings article explains this.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

You can check the function of the ESA out of water by manually activating the switches.

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

Thanks Guys!

 

[Dakota47]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

I have a 1987 OMC Cobra and new shift cables & ESA , the esa only operates when going out of gear.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

The ESA activation linkage(the triangle shaped thing) is designed to move when the force required to move the cable is "high"........IE when the Clutch-dogs are loaded with either forward or reverse torque.

The force on the cable should not be enough to move the linkage and activate the system when going into gear.

If it is corrosion in the actual lower shift cable or other problems like a frayed cable etc OR binding in the actual shift linkage inside the lower unit, then the linkage MAY move (and activate the ESA) when going into gear or coming out of gear (when not torque loaded)

The linkage should only MOVE enough to activate the ESA when coming out of gear ......forward or reverse.......(only when in the water)



Sorry for repeating myself. It's VERY important that the actual force required to move the cable and associated shift linkage and clutch dogs be fairly low. I think Hastings says somewhere around 15 lbs or less.....

If it's higher the ESA activates when it shouldn't.

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

That makes sense. i just thought whenever it was going into gear, or into another gear the ESA should work to bring the rpms down enough to shift smoothly. It still has the Black cable, so i guess i need to change that out and get the red one before anything? I just don't get why if it is designed to engage when there is tension on the cable why it's not working unless the switch is bad.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

The ESA actually "pulses" the ignition system to produce torque "peaks and valleys" so to speak.

It isn't required and should not activate when going into gear. You set the RPM at whatever the book says.

From my 1987 Service manual:


2.3L 600-650RPM
3.0L 500-600
4.3L 500-600
5.0/5.7L 500-600
7.5L 600-650




Then you briskly put it in gear....the ESA is not activated. The clutch dogs are "under-cut" in such a way so as to help keep the gears meshed when torque loaded. The service manual also indicates that it may not completely engage when out of the water because of the low torque on the dogs.


To come out of gear you have to reduce the torque to allow the "dogs" to be pulled apart. Since they are machined in such a way that torque pulls them together you have to apply tension to the cable (and hence to the "dogs") before you pulse the torque so they will come apart at the right time.



You can just push the shift actuator to activate the ESA anytime you want. If it's not activating then, you probably have any number of problems with either one of the micro-switches or the ESA itself.

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

wow, 5-600 rpms, that's low. i thought pretty much every engine shold idle around 6-700. i'll try to get the idle down a little, then check the switch itself, then go from there. I'm a pretty good natural trouble shooter, i just like to get some good advice before i jump into the unknown. Thanks again! I'll report on how it goes.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

Too high an idle RPM will break a Cobra prematurely. If it's too low it will die when the ESA activates.

If you do not have an OEM service manual and you're planning on doing your own fix'n, It would be a really good idea to get one. Clymer and Seloc fall somewhat short.


Good luck. You do need *some* with the old OMC's I ran out so I piled mine on the floor!!

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

I have a manual on the way, i'm just not patient, and like to get things fixed. i'll try to get the idle as low as i can. the motor is old and probably pretty worn out so it may need to stay a little higher than 5-600, but i'll do my best.

 

[fourwinnsdook]

Re: 86 OMC cobra not shifting out or gear?

UPDATE!!!... What a pain, i checked the switch last night and it works, however the roller on the end of the arm that activates the switch has broken off. So just because of a cheaply made part(not even the switch) i have to replace the whole thing. Untill then i have screwed a round headed #4 screw into the small hole at the end of the arm to act as the roller. Hopefully that gets me by. Seems to work pretty good.