alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

[alilley]

back ground.....boat is a 1988.......3.0 140 horse (fresh rebuild) alpha 1 out drive.......

wile rebuilding motor i check gimble bearing....was bad and i replaced it......figured since i didnt know when the impeller was done, and out drive was off why not change it. Good thing i did as one of the blades was about to come off.....took her up today had alignment checked marina told me i was dead on....so ok now time to put out drive back on right .......lol ....... that is way easier said then done.........fought her and fought her finall got it all the way one put the center 2 nuts and washers back on........now for the issue

i can get shift cable to silid all the way out but when i do this it does not go into gear (can spin prop both directions) push shift cable in all the way and i hear a "ting" down in the bottom portion of the out drive and it will only spin in a clock wise rotation and her a clicking noise wile doing this.....it will not spin in a c c w rotation what gives????


i am assuming that there is somthing that is out of adjustment here but i dont know there to begin to look or what it could be here. i am so close to getting this thing fired up and and maybe wet this year. as you can imagine this is ver frustrating but at the same time a learning process as well so any insides as what i need to check or adjust will get very greatly appreciated and many thanks

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

Sounds like you have neutal and forward, no reverse. U pulling and pushing the cable by hand or the shifter at the helm? Cable shouldn't need to be adjusted by separating and reinstalling the halves together.

Did it work correctly before taking it all apart or did you get the boat not running?

Did you have the lower half in forward (and keep it there), while you bolted the halves back together keeping the shift shaft in the upper half straight -facing fore and aft?

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

i had the boat on the water last summer and it worked fine.....i am pulling and pusshing one the cable, where it would connect on top of the motor, not at the throttle (helm)

not only did i seperate the 2 halves but also pulled out drive off

 

[dubs283]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

not only did i seperate the 2 halves but also pulled out drive off

yes, we know that

the question is - when you reassembled the two halves of the drive, did you ensure the lower half was in FWD gear??

 

[cr2k]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

Was the helm control in forward gear? it should always be in forward gear when removing/replacing the drive.

If not you may have damaged your shifting foot or the part on the gimbal ring.

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

helm controls are unhooked to the point where if they were moved then it would do nothing but move the cable before it hooked up to the shifter cable, if that makes any since.

so right now it is starting to sound like i have to split the 2 halves apart again. that is not that big of a deal and is a lot easier then having to pull the hold drive off......after splitting them apart what do i need to look for? what do i need to do? how do i make sure that i do not have this issue again after i put it back together again? the, i think called lower shift cable (the one that runs right into the outdrive from the top of the motor) should it be pushed in or pulled all the way out? right now all i can do is pull it all the way out. If i were to attempt to pushi it in it stops about 2/3 of the way before i hear that ting noise.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

It sounds a little like the the upper shift arm may have slipped out of the shift fork at the end of the cable?? when you push on the cable it should move the shift arm clockwise and shift the gearcase into forward. When in forward the prop will spin freely (or maybe click) when you turn it in a CLOCKWISE direction, and will lock when turned in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE direction. Reverse is just the opposite. If it has slipped out, the fork will push the arm into forward, but not pull it back into reverse. Raise the outdrive and have someone look at the linkage as you move the cable back and forth.

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

stony that is a good possiability......if that is the case do i have to completly pull the out drive off to fix? of so how should everything be situated ???

 

[stonyloam]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

stony that is a good possiability......if that is the case do i have to completly pull the out drive off to fix? of so how should everything be situated ???

I am not sure, maybe not, but you do have to pull it back. What you need to do is push the cable back, and make sure the prop locks when you turn it CCW. That is forward. Put a bungee on the prop to hold it in place. The shift shaft coupler should be pointed straight ahead and you can slide the outdrive back. Look inside and see the shift arm with the little wheel on top, that wheel must be between the two arms of the shift fork on the end of the cable if it is you are OK, if not work it back in place and slide it back together. I could be wrong (I was once) so you might want to hook the control back up and try it first. F=CCW lock, R=CW lock. Here is a link to adjusting the cable, start on p 89: http://www.perfprotech.com/store/app_themes/ppt/images/tech-specs/alpha-shift-adjust.pdf Good luck.

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

i will attempt to get some wrench time in on it today, that will all depend on the better half is doing (have a furernal today). i really dont want to pull that drive but it sonds like that is where i have to go. once the drive is off how do i put it in foward gear to make sure that is where it needs to be? i will at leasdt try to gdet the controls hooked back up as well

 

[JerryIrons]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

Haha welcome to the initiation! It's amazing how something so easy to remove can be so tricky to put back on. Once you understand how it all must connect it will get much better, I was just as frustrated learning this as you! Everything must be in forward, and stay in forward, when you remove and put back on, if you look at the shift shoe that slides into the shift bracket it will make sense to you. (intermediate shifting assembly) Use a bungy cord to hold that prop in forward when you are putting the outdrive back on.

Now if you fought and fought putting things back together, you may have bent the shift shoe bracket, better check it out.

By the way, the only time the prop spins freely in both directions is when everything is in neutral. (when all is put back together)

 

[Fishermark]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

When you put the outdrive back on, as mentioned above, EVERYTHING needs to be in forward gear and STAY in forward gear. This is much easier if the shift cable is connected to its bracket. The little orange tool pictured here makes the job much easier - it holds the shift slide in place while reinstalling the drive. I only recently bought one and I love it!

 

[stonyloam]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

The little orange tool pictured here makes the job much easier

I am going to get one of those.

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

ok thanks for the pic that will help

1. where did you get that tool at?
2. from the pic the shift slide needs to be pushed out, and that be in foward gear?
3. when i pull the out drive off, how doi make sure the drive is in foward gear?
4. how do i shift the out drive gear with out the cable or anything like that?

 

[alilley]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

ok many thanks for the info that i recieved. i was able to get it after i figured out how to put the drive in gear.

i still want to know where you got that plastic tool as i think it would be very help full

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

all those answers will be found in here http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf

 

[stonyloam]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

ok thanks for the pic that will help

1. where did you get that tool at?
2. from the pic the shift slide needs to be pushed out, and that be in foward gear?
3. when i pull the out drive off, how doi make sure the drive is in foward gear?
4. how do i shift the out drive gear with out the cable or anything like that?

Merc dealer should have it

Yes but the actual shifting is done in the lower half of the outdrive (the gearcase)

Turn the shift shaft all the way clockwise (should point straight ahead), turn the prop counterclockwise, if it locks you are in forward. Use a bungee to hold it there

Turn the shift shaft in the outdrive all the way clockwise for forward, counterclockwise for reverse and in the middle for neutral.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: alpha1 issue...wont go into gear

The Mercruiser part # is 91-865232. You can pick it up online or at your local Mercruiser dealer.