Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

[smithrock]

I need to remove my outdrive, but the lower shift cable is frozen. How do I get my drive into forward so that I can remove the outdrive?
My drive is an Alpha 1

 

[Don S]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Remove the lower unit first. This will allow the shift shaft to drop down. Then you can pull the upper without damaging anything.

PS: Drain the gear lube first, or you will have a mess.

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Remove the lower unit first. This will allow the shift shaft to drop down. Then you can pull the upper without damaging anything.

PS: Drain the gear lube first, or you will have a mess.

Ok. So after I remove the lower, do I then put the shift lever into full forward then pull the drive?

 

[Don S]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Once you remove the lower, you don't have to shift it at all. That's why you pull the lower. Just make sure the shift shaft that is in the upper drops down out of the bellhousing. It only has to drop about 1/4".

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

If your shifter moves freely after removing the lower unit, your problem lies within the lower unit more than likely.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Another thing you can do if you don't feel like seperating the units and to tilt the drive all the way up then cut the shift cable in half right behind the bellhousing. After you cut it you should be able to grab the shift fork and put it in foward.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

sorry didnt see it was lower cable

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Once you remove the lower, you don't have to shift it at all. That's why you pull the lower. Just make sure the shift shaft that is in the upper drops down out of the bellhousing. It only has to drop about 1/4".

Ok. So when I install the new shift cable, I won't be putting shift lever in forward either?
Is there a way for me to confirm that it is my shift cable that is bad and not something else?

My sterndrive serial # 6884096

 

[dubs283]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

you will have to shift the cable into fwd to re-install the drive after installing the new cable.

by pulling the lower half of the drive off, this is disengaging the shift arm on the lower half from the shift fork in the bell housing

when you re-install the drive, the halves will be connected

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

To check your cables, yes you have 2. There is one that goes from the control to the linkage that is attached just above the gimbal housing unit behind the engine. Then the other attaches to the same linkage assemble that goes through the gimbal housing to the upper unit.

Unhook the linkage from the main control cable at the gimbal housing. Now see if your control cable moves freely back and forth. If it does without any drag, that is not the cable that is causing problems. Now hook the end of the cable back up to the linkage and undo the one going through the gimbal. Move your main control, if it is locked up then the linkage assemble is jammed or frozen. If not,,,,,then dropping the lower unit will verify if it is the short cable or not. Once the lower unit is lowered from the upper case, then hook up the short cable to the linkage assy. Now move your main control. If it moves freely, then there is nothing wrong with your cables. If you completely remove the lower unit, there will be a small shift shaft that has splines on it. While rotating the prop, you should be able to twist that shaft back and forth, If it does not, then there is something internally broken.

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

To check your cables, yes you have 2. There is one that goes from the control to the linkage that is attached just above the gimbal housing unit behind the engine. Then the other attaches to the same linkage assemble that goes through the gimbal housing to the upper unit.

Unhook the linkage from the main control cable at the gimbal housing. Now see if your control cable moves freely back and forth. If it does without any drag, that is not the cable that is causing problems. Now hook the end of the cable back up to the linkage and undo the one going through the gimbal. Move your main control, if it is locked up then the linkage assemble is jammed or frozen. If not,,,,,then dropping the lower unit will verify if it is the short cable or not. Once the lower unit is lowered from the upper case, then hook up the short cable to the linkage assy. Now move your main control. If it moves freely, then there is nothing wrong with your cables. If you completely remove the lower unit, there will be a small shift shaft that has splines on it. While rotating the prop, you should be able to twist that shaft back and forth, If it does not, then there is something internally broken.

Okay, got the lower unit removed. I connected the lower shift cable back up to the shift plate, tried moving the shift lever into forward - nothing, won't move.
So I now have tried turning the prop shaft while trying to turn the small shift shaft, and it's very tight. I can get it to turn a little but it's tight. It seems to stop itself after going only so far.

Do I have a problem with the shift shaft, or is that normal for it to be like that?
I know my cable is still frozen, so I will be replacing that.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

remove the whole outdrive.you will have to do that anyways.

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

remove the whole outdrive.you will have to do that anyways.

So is that normal then for the shift shaft? Is the problem still the cable? Obvisiously I'm going to have to keep it in neutral since the cable is frozen. So it's ok to remove the outdrive with it in neutral as long as the lower is off?

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

So is that normal then for the shift shaft? Is the problem still the cable? Obvisiously I'm going to have to keep it in neutral since the cable is frozen. So it's ok to remove the outdrive with it in neutral as long as the lower is off?

Yes you can .... Due to the the linkage inside the gimbal hooks to the lower unit and not the upper unit. The upper unit is independent from the shifting mechanism. Once you get the upper unit off you will see how it works.

When you replace your cable and shifter grommet/boot also, that is when you will need to have the shifter in forward gear. On your lower unit that you have out, you should see a brass piece that slides over the shifting rod. This is in the very front of the case in front of the drive shaft. On that brass piece which will lift off the shift rod will look like and "L" when held upside down. The top of that brass piece fits into the linkage that is attached to the gimbal unit itself. Again, once you get the upper off, you will see how the shorter cable in the gimbal unit works. Hope this helps......SS

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Yes you can .... Due to the the linkage inside the gimbal hooks to the lower unit and not the upper unit. The upper unit is independent from the shifting mechanism. Once you get the upper unit off you will see how it works.

When you replace your cable and shifter grommet/boot also, that is when you will need to have the shifter in forward gear. On your lower unit that you have out, you should see a brass piece that slides over the shifting rod. This is in the very front of the case in front of the drive shaft. On that brass piece which will lift off the shift rod will look like and "L" when held upside down. The top of that brass piece fits into the linkage that is attached to the gimbal unit itself. Again, once you get the upper off, you will see how the shorter cable in the gimbal unit works. Hope this helps......SS

Ok, Im going out to remove the upper unit now. Is that normal though for the shift shaft, it hardly moves! When i turn the prop, I can feel something at the shift shaft

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

1. If you move around the prop and the shift shaft at the same time, you'll get a feel for how the shifting works..this may help give you a better understanding of the mechanism. But no, it shouldn't be hard to twist the shift shaft back and forth if you are just messing with the lower half of the drive whle it is separated.

2. Since your outdrive is split in half, you may as well change the impellor while it is apart... it's not an expensive part.

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

1. If you move around the prop and the shift shaft at the same time, you'll get a feel for how the shifting works..this may help give you a better understanding of the mechanism. But no, it shouldn't be hard to twist the shift shaft back and forth if you are just messing with the lower half of the drive whle it is separated.

2. Since your outdrive is split in half, you may as well change the impellor while it is apart... it's not an expensive part.

It seems to only turn a little bit, then the prop locks.

I removed the upper, and when i pulled it off a lot of oil spilled out, it's all over the U joint and is sitting inside the bellow. I will post pics later of it. Is this normal?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

It seems to only turn a little bit, then the prop locks.

Ayuh,... That's Normal,...

I removed the upper, and when i pulled it off a lot of oil spilled out, it's all over the U joint and is sitting inside the bellow.

And, That Not,... That oil came out of the Drive,...
How much oil did you Drain from the outdrive,..??

 

[smithrock]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Ayuh,... That's Normal,...


And, That Not,... That oil came out of the Drive,...
How much oil did you Drain from the outdrive,..??

I drained what I thought was quite a lot from the lower drive before I removed it. but when I pulled the upper, there was alot in there. Does oil usually sit in the bellow? Also I noticed that the O-ring that goes to the water intake wasn't seated real well, it's too big to go back in and fit right. Maybe I was getting a little water in there as well? The oil that came out was black and sludgy.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cable won't move! How to get drive into forward?

Does oil usually sit in the bellow?

No,... It Leaked from the Outdrive.....