Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method?

[projo198]

1988 Bayliner Capri, 2.3L OMC Ford

When I first bought this boat I had to replace the lower shift cable. I did not have the tool that centers the bell crank. All I did was measure the bell crank to 90 degrees from the face of the unit and installed the linkage at the motor with the shift lever in the neutral position.

After a few weeks of unrelated problems I finally got this boat running good and had it on the lake all weekend. However I noticed that when I go from fwd to neutral the boat usually stays in gear and continues to move forward. If I move the shifter slightly into reverse and then back it will eventually go into neutral, though it requires some effort to do so and is noisy.

Yesterday I checked out some stuff out of the water. In both fwd and reverse the gears engage and I cannot turn the prob by hand. In neutral I can spin the prop manually, but there is a ckicling sound like it has not fully disengaged from gear.

I am not sure if my ESA is working correctly, because I have my idle set very low (550). I am going to check that today. But is there a way I can adjust the shift cable at the motor to get the correct neutral position without disassembling the lower again? I am worried about eating gears.

Thanks.

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

I would get the proper tools and start from the beginning. It is to costly not to.

 

[Reinell-BRXL-191]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

agreed, I would buy the tools and a gasket set and spend the couple hours to make sure it's right... 75 dollars now vs. 1000's later

 

[projo198]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Ok, one more question then.

When I took it apart the first time I noticed that there is a large plastic boot on the pivot housing assembly that bearing carrier slides into. It was rather cracked and worn, and I found a small amount of water inside the upper bellows there.

Does anyone know the correct name for that boot that the u-joint shaft slides into? I don't see it on the parts diagram I am looking at... Also, is there a trick for re-installing the shaft?? My buddy ended up having to push on the lower unit while I tapped the motor via the ignition (with the safety harness undone of course) before we could finally get it to go in.

 

[projo198]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Ok, not trying to insult anyon'e intelligence I'm just trying to describe what I am talking about.

I don't see this on the exploded parts diagram, but there was a stiff rubber boot on the pivot housing that the bearing carrier on the gear housing pushed into. It was hard mating the gear housing to the pivot housing because of this part.

Does anyone know what this part is called? I am assuming it seals water from getting into the u-joint bellows, and I would like to replace it while I have the unit apart.

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

It is #76 in the diagram you have there. Called a U-joint bellow.

 

[projo198]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

It is #76 in the diagram you have there. Called a U-joint bellow.

Ok so the bellow itself sits inside the pivot housing, and has a thick section that the gear housing pushes into, right? I thought it clamped outside on the rear and was much thinner.

Thank you. It is hard to tell just by these diagrams.

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

The bellow is sandwiched between outdrive and the pivot housing. However, there is a clamp on the other end.

 

[Reinell-BRXL-191]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

and if yours is cracked and nasty.. it's a quick way to sink a boat...

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

The trick to puttin the drive on is to stick a long screwdriver in the u joint carrier and then go to put the Drive on. When the drive gets stuck and won't go the rest of the way use the screwdriver to turn the u joint carrier and shaft a little and it will just slide right on.

What you are actually doing is turning the drive shaft a little so the splines line up.

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Re: Can I adjust my shift cable without pulling off my lower unit again?

Yeah, yes.. and oh hell yes replace your bellows if your leaking. Maybe replace lower and upper bellows it isn't that much more to do it all while the drive is off. Check your SHIFT ROD too while you have it off. Trust me, I broke a new cable because my shifter rod was gummed up and sticking badly. (waiting for parts now so I can put it back together)

 

[projo198]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Ok guys, thanks. My bellows aren't bad, I could just tell that the gear housing had slammed into the section that sits inside the pivot housing during reassembly at some point. They are still rubbery, not cracking or anything.

I will check the shift rod again when I have it back apart. When I had it off last month I could shift it up and down easily by hand.

Thanks for the heads up about maneuvering the u-joint. I think we tried that last time, but I wasn't sure if it was the shaft splines or the gear housing/ bellow fit that was causing me issues.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Not saying for sure yours is the same but the first couple times I installed my drive I thought it might be the bellows too that was not letting the drive all the way on. But really its the drive shaft splines.

Its 2 steps really. Making sure the ujoints/yoke is straight enough so it can slide into the coupler, then using the screwdriver to turn the yoke a little so the splines line up.

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Yours is doing almost what mine did.. Only I didn't have reverse only a clicking sound, and it wouldn't come out of forward with rocking the shifter. When I took off the cable to adjust it, thats when I noticed it was almost broke inside. It had kinked up and became weak. When I pulled on it, it broke the rest of the way. It broke inside the plastic holder that goes to the block arm.

When I took the outdrive off, I could pull on the cable with 2 fingers lightly and it would move as smooth as silk. So, I turned my attention to the shift rod, and that's when I found the real problem. It took 2 days of working, hammering lightly and prying to get the upper off the lower. That's when I noticed my bearing housing was also shot.

MY shifter rod was gummed up on the top side and after cleaning it off, it started moving a little more smoothly. BUT.. after a couple of hours I went back out and it was stiff again.. The shifter rod is held in place by screwing it in. So I counted how many turns to screw it all the way down.(so when I put it back together, I will screw it back in all the way and count the turns back to where it was.) Then I removed the 6 bolts holding the cover on and pulled it off. (don't remove the shifter rod from the housing unless you plan on replacing the wiper and seal. Under the plate on the shifter rod it was even more gummed up. So I cleaned that all off, and now it's a lot smoother. Well.. in my bench vise.. I"m still waiting for parts to put my boat back together.

I hope you get lucky and it's only the cable and not the shifter rod.. It's been a pain in my Azz. (but kind of fun working on it)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

You did check your alignment right?

Also, if you don't know how old the bellows are change them now. You should change them every 5 years.

 

[projo198]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Alignment of the motor/outdrive? No, I haven't.

I did take a closer look at the bellows yesterday afternoon and there is a small tear in the side and water dripped out when I raised the trim. I will be replacing them.

I wen't by Bass Pro after work yesterday to see if they had the bellcrank alignment tools. Once he heard "OMC" he started shaking his head as if I had asked him on a date. Guess I will have to wait until I can afford to order them.

I alternated going in and out of gear and adjusting the shift cable at the motor until I could turn the prop by hand while in neutral without any clicking sounds. Not a permanent fix but I am thinking this will get me closer to being in neutral than I was.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Alignment of the motor/outdrive? No, I haven't.

You need to buy the alignment bar and check the alignment. This is a MUST thing to do.

 

[projo198]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

You need to buy the alignment bar and check the alignment. This is a MUST thing to do.

Are you talking about the bell crank for shifting, or something else?

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

Are you talking about the bell crank for shifting, or something else?

Lol. No hes not.

Do a search on this forum for alignment and you will see tons of threads. He is talking about a bar that you stick into the coupler through the gimbal bearing and checks to see if the engine is aligned right.

again, best thing to do is do a search and bring yourself up to speed. There is just so much info on this forum about it.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adjust shift cable without pulling off my lower unit? UPDATE-part name and method

http://www.mbsmfg.com/maenalto.html