Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

[Si Rey]

89 Sea Ray with 5.7 Mercruiser, Alpha 1 outdrive and Quicksilver shifter. Went to put boat into reverse at the end of the day and no engagement. Worked fine the whole day otherwise. Engine rpms climbed but no reverse. Got home checked cables as per the Mercruiser Service manual #6. When I shift into reverse no clutch engagement when spinning prop clockwise, it does engage when spinning counterclockwise. Removed shift cable from the shifter assy and forward gear does not engage when spinning in either direction. Reverse only engages when spinng prop counterclockwise. Shift cable has no binding or resistance and appears to be free in movement. Prop is a right hand rotation.
Seems like a tough one for me to figure out- think I'm going to be pulling outdrive?
What next Captain Kirk?

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

Disconnect the shift cable going to the outdrive while everything is in neutral. Start the engine (on muffs of course) and see if you can push and pull the shift cable to forward and reverse.

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

O.K. did that, forward gear engages and prop turns, put into reverse and nothing, manually tried to put into reverse as you said using the shift cable and still nothing, no clunk, nothing. If I manually put it into forward using the shift cable it goes everything is fine. I pull the cable all the way out as if shifting into reverse and nada.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

Ayuh,......

I'd think it's time to Pull the drive,+ see if it can be shifted at the Shift Shoe/ Foot.....

If it passes That test,.....
Change the Lower Shift Cable....
If it Doesn't shift by hand at the drive itself,....
It'll have to be torn down to see What's Broken....

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

Pulled stern drive. The shift slide remained inside the stern drive. My question is how does the shift slide get attached to the shift cable? Transom # OC635285. According to the Mercruiser manual there should be a cable anchor, however it appears to be lacking this on the slider, and there was never an anchor installed or a place to put one. Did check the operation of the forward and reverse gears of the stern drive while off the boat and all gears function properly. I know my problem lies in the shift cable/slide area. When I shift the shifter into reverse at the control assy that is when the shift slider is pulled, hence that is why I have no reverse. When shifted in forward that is when the slider is pushed hence why I have forward gear. Is the shift cable supposed to be a part of the set screw that is safety wired in the slider? What can you suggest? Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

Go to section 4A, page 14 of your service manual. Read the section on the shiftcable removal and replacement and I think you will then understand how it works.
Sounds to me like you need a new shift cable.

 

[BAYLINER185]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

From what I remember seeing in a service manual for dissmantaling the outdrive and bell houseing the shift cable is supposed to be all together as one piece with the set screw and anchor wire attached.

It sounds to me that something came apart or is broke on your lower shift cable. Since the drive shifts gears manually while off the boat you know theres no problem in the drive.

I think its time to put in a new lower shift cable.

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

I looked at 4A-14 and the diagram that is shown is for the end that goes on the shifter assy mounted on the engine, the end I'm lost on is shown on 4A-15. The set screw that is referred to is for keeping the cable from extending out of the end of the shift slide. What keeps the shift cable locked into the shift slide when the shift cable is pulled, i.e shifting into reverse? I thought the set screw was part of the shift cable as one unit, but the picture shows them to be two seperate pieces which is consistant with what I have.
B.T.W. great work on getting me to the exact page that really helped! You really know your service manuals. Thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

There is a round knob on one end of the cable. The end without the knob goes into the shift slide and the cable pulled all the way thru till the knob bottoms in the slide. Then the set screw is installed till it touches, then backed off slightly so the cable can spin inside the slide. Then the set screw is safety wired.
If the cable is not in the slide but the set screw is, then either the slide insides are pulled out or the knob on the end of the cable is not there.
I can't tell which, cause I can't see it.

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

I see what I have now, went outside to think things through and looked at the manual- again. It is exactly as you describe. The end with the anchor is in a hex shape it stays at the slide end, what has happened to me is the anchor has been pulled through the slide, making a hex shape grove in the slide, thus possibly requiring replacement of both the cable as well as the slide as the hole has been enlarged. Would you agree?

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

My next battle is can Ijust replace the core wire or do I need to go through the whole process of replacing the entire cable with housing, or if it is only sold as an assy can I purchase the assy and simply pull out the core wire and replace it soley?

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

I see what I have now, went outside to think things through and looked at the manual- again. It is exactly as you describe. The end with the anchor is in a hex shape it stays at the slide end, what has happened to me is the anchor has been pulled through the slide, making a hex shape grove in the slide, thus possibly requiring replacement of both the cable as well as the slide as the hole has been enlarged. Would you agree?

Yep, you need a new cable. ALL of it. not just the inner core.
For that to happen, I would suspect a problem with the shift interrupt system not working. Under load you have to FORCE it out of gear if the shift interrupt system isn't working. And that is what causes the cables to go bad like that.

 

[Si Rey]

Re: Alpha 1 won't shift into reverse

Well off to removing the whole thing, Happy Memorial Day! I did figure out the cause of this and once again you're right on the money. Last year I had trouble with my shift interupt switch not working properly which caused difficulty shifting in and out of gears, hence our conversation today. Switch was fixed last year and been working well ever since up until last week.

My wife was standing in front of the trailor when I was trying to trailor the boat when this happened I told her to get out of the way, nobody was hurt and the boat was moving at a crawl anyways. I explained why later. Lesson learned - don't have anyone stand in frt of trailor when trying to retrieve boat until it is completly stopped.

Many thanks 4 the 411 especially on this holiday weekend.