Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

Hi, I had this same issue, Mercruiser manual says in so many words... If it still wont shift you need to recheck & correct the 4 threads you left showing when you put the shift cable in. You probably need to detach the shift cable inside the boat and tighten the cable end at the bellhousing another part of a turn. Run it in to the exact requirement in the guide, I believe it is 4 threads showing but check. When the cable end isn't far enough into the bellhousing it interferes with the shift fork travel, that's your problem.
Oh yes, definitely use a new gasket if the existing one has any questions. Ounce of prevention.

I was going by what someone said when I put the shift cable inside the slide. I put the shift cable nut inside the bellhousing up to 1 thread showing. Could it actually be that I put it too far into the bellhousing? Or do I need to back it out to 4 threads? There is a clicking noise when the helper is turning prop counterclockwise also while I was trying to push cable in.

Will the gasket make it or do I need another one?

DD

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

go here and get #6 . http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/srvcovr.pdf page 4A-17
manuals says "no more than 2 treads exposed"

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

In which case I defer. But still if you get that piece to the spec you should be able to get the adjustment corrected.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

Ok, so we got everything put back together and we cannot get the cable shaft adjustment to go right. I push on the cable and the helper turns the prop counterclockwise and it just keeps spinning. I can pull on the cable and the prop will lock in gear. I have the throttle put into forward gear. Is there a chance somehow it got into reverse? I do not want to take the outdrive off again if I can keep from it. If I have to take the outdrive off then do you think the gasket will be ok that I just put on?

Please help...Everything was going so well.

DD

Earlier in this post you mentioned replacing the impeller? Is it possible that the lower might be off one spline on the lower shift shaft. When you bolted back the lower and upper halves?

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

Earlier in this post you mentioned replacing the impeller? Is it possible that the lower might be off one spline on the lower shift shaft. When you bolted back the lower and upper halves?

I had changed the impeller and water pump on the original attempt. I started it up just fine the first time and then it died when throttling and that is when I moved into this attempt. So I'm not sure if changing the water pump and getting something off at that time could be wrong. However, I did change out the upper shift shaft, intermediate shift shaft along with shaft arm and slide etc... for the shift cable installation. Could there be a chance I missed something in the intermediate shift shaft replacement. Aligning etc..?

Looks as though I will have to replace gasket anyway, so pulling outdrive is going to have to take place correct?

My question to anyone: I have not attached the shift cable to the drive plate in the boat so the throttle still sits in the forward position. At this point how am I going to get it out of reverse after taking the outdrive back off and starting to put it back together from scratch? Or are there alternatives?

Thanks billions.

DD

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

when you push on the cable it should move the shift shaft in the bellhousing to a straight postition (fore and aft) which would be in forward, and lock the prop in the ccw direction.

Here's a photo from Ziggy showing the drive in either neutral or reverse. Don't think the bushings would be causing an issue. Maybe have someone push on the cable and have a look see where yours is positioned.

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

when you push on the cable it should move the shift shaft in the bellhousing to a straight postition (fore and aft) which would be in forward, and lock the prop in the ccw direction.

Here's a photo from Ziggy showing the drive in either neutral or reverse. Don't think the bushings would be causing an issue. Maybe have someone push on the cable and have a look see where yours is positioned.

We have now taken the outdrive off a third time and made sure that the shift cable nut was at 4 grooves, the shift slide was out, the cam fit into the slide, made sure the allen nut was secure but not too tight. We followed the instructions from the seloc book and then from another couple of sources to make sure everything was ready. We then put the drive on and took the 6 nuts to just about ready to seal the gasket, but not tight and did not torque. We then followed the seloc book and the other sources for adjustments but we cannot get it to lock ccw with a push. When pushing on the shift cable end as it says to do there is not movement of the shift shafts or shift cable and as I turn the prop ccw it does not lock. However, when my helper pulls the shift cable end it will lock cw and then ratchet as it is suppose to do the other way. Is there something we have done. I don't know how to check if the lower shift shaft splines moved or not. We can take the drive off again if there is something we are missing. Please help....

DD

 

[ziggy]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

ya've done the proper test it sounds like to me. which is operate the shift cable with your fingers at the shift plate inside the boat. this adj. is 6'' center of barrel to center of barrel while in fwd. you should be able to obtain fwd - rev. by operating from the shift plate (loose end of cable) if not something is still amiss. probably the mating of the lower shift shaft to the intermediate shift shaft (off a spline).
if ya take the lower back off, which it sounds like ya may be. be sure to operate the lower by itself to be sure it does in fact shift...

that pic above, the drive is in neu. if the coupler were facing fwd it would be in fwd. if the coupler was further to port, it would be in rev.

if all else fails. remove the whole drive and mate the upper to the lower while on the bench. i just can't tell ya how much easier it is to mate the two while on the bench.

ya might do yourself a favor too and ditch the seloc book. get a real mercruiser book. they are much better and more specific to your exact drive and engine set up. bt doc gave ya the link to s/m 6 which is what ya need.

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

ya've done the proper test it sounds like to me. which is operate the shift cable with your fingers at the shift plate inside the boat. this adj. is 6'' center of barrel to center of barrel while in fwd. you should be able to obtain fwd - rev. by operating from the shift plate (loose end of cable) if not something is still amiss. probably the mating of the lower shift shaft to the intermediate shift shaft (off a spline).
if ya take the lower back off, which it sounds like ya may be. be sure to operate the lower by itself to be sure it does in fact shift...

that pic above, the drive is in neu. if the coupler were facing fwd it would be in fwd. if the coupler was further to port, it would be in rev.

if all else fails. remove the whole drive and mate the upper to the lower while on the bench. i just can't tell ya how much easier it is to mate the two while on the bench.

ya might do yourself a favor too and ditch the seloc book. get a real mercruiser book. they are much better and more specific to your exact drive and engine set up. bt doc gave ya the link to s/m 6 which is what ya need.

Can you walk me through the spline situation and how to get it back to the right spline configuration? And how do you operate the lower by itself to make sure it shifts?

And the adjustment for shift plate is a little vague. Are you saying it should move 6".

Also, I clicked on the link from bt doc and there is nothing there. It gives a pdf file but they are all 1 page and don't open or show anything else.

Thanks for reply...we are really getting depressed over this and are not wanting to give up.

DD

 

[ziggy]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

Also, I clicked on the link from bt doc and there is nothing there. It gives a pdf file but they are all 1 page and don't open or show anything else.

you need to get this file open or get the book. to open, click the number 6 under bookmarks... then click the big words stern drive units which actually takes you to the bottom of the page. go to sec. 2A and click that. then go to pp 2A-18 which is where the info is at. the first 4 steps only are how to install the lower shift cable.

And the adjustment for shift plate is a little vague. Are you saying it should move 6".

i was vague, sorry. this is in the service manual. step 2. "measure distance between center of hole in shift cable end guide and center of brass barrel. measurement should be 6''. "

Can you walk me through the spline situation and how to get it back to the right spline configuration? And how do you operate the lower by itself to make sure it shifts?

lower seperate from upper. for lower turn prop ccw while turning the lower shift shaft. i can't remember which way, but when the prop locks ccw. that's the right way. leave the prop load ccw with a bungee. on upper. the coupler must be faceing fwd. not like in the pic. but fore and aft. achieve this by putting the remote control at the helm all the way into fwd. then mate the two...

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

We're gonna get this..
Twist the lower splined shaft clockwise while turning the prop ccw until it locks which would be forward. Then holding the prop locked in forward, you assemble the lower to the upper.

Did you try manually turning the intermediate shaft using your hands (in Ziggy's picture straight -fore and aft) which should also set the lower in forward? This can be done while the drive is off the boat.

Did you try pushing and pulling on the cable from inside the boat while the drive was off? If so did the opposite end in the drive move? Probably a very small detail off giving all this trouble.

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

We're gonna get this..
Twist the lower splined shaft clockwise while turning the prop ccw until it locks which would be forward. Then holding the prop locked in forward, you assemble the lower to the upper.

Did you try manually turning the intermediate shaft using your hands (in Ziggy's picture straight -fore and aft) which should also set the lower in forward? This can be done while the drive is off the boat.

Did you try pushing and pulling on the cable from inside the boat while the drive was off? If so did the opposite end in the drive move? Probably a very small detail off giving all this trouble.

Ok...Guess what...It is on and did everything as you said here and we were excited to get everything put together, and mind you the old shift cable was so out of line that I had to work the plastic barrel on the dash shift cable of the shift plate a long way. Wow....

Everything was good until we tried to trim the outdrive up to move it outside to put the muffs on and see what happened. It trimmed in fine but wouldn't trim up and there wasn't even a noise like it was trying. So now we are on to another problem apparently. We have checked and there is oil in the pump and it was working before all this work. The book is really vague as to what the problem might be.

Again, any ideas? I feel as though I might become a master mechanic after all this. I would never be able to do this without all of you guys though!

DD

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

eureka...!!! Sort Of?

We got trim to work and got the muffs on it put water to it and started it, it started first turn and let it sit for a little bit in neutral and then got nervous to put it in forward. Put it in forward and it worked like a charm, no noises etc... So on to reverse...It went in to reverse and the prop was turning then it died. Then started it up and it went into forward...let it sit for a few seconds there then on to reverse...Died, then died, then died.

Now what? Nothing in my book tells me what is going on.

How do I fix this problem..Once this is done then it will be good to go.

DD

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

click the link, when it opens look upper left side and click on #6.. use the Seloc as a knee pad.

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

click the link, when it opens look upper left side and click on #6.. use the Seloc as a knee pad.

I have clicked on it and all it does is sit there. I also see that the whole document on my end (all the numbers etc...) is only 1 page. Is there a way to forward to me..

I just replaced cable and everything was as it should have been by the service manuals I could find, but now we have this last little problem. Please help.

Thanks
DD

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

go here and get #6 . http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/srvcovr.pdf page 4A-17
manuals says "no more than 2 treads exposed"

I have searched everywhere for manuals. I have bittorrent if that would help or fileshare....I don't have account at fileshare. I actually need service manual #2 for the year of boat and motor I have. 1977 140 serial number starts with 462. Thanks for anyhelp.

DD

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

ok...I found the service manuals from my grandfather whom gave me the boat. Service manual #1 is what we needed and I have volumes 1 and 2. We searched through and found the part where the reverse lock needed to be adjusted and have now adjusted it three times and it is at 3rd tick mark.

Boat runs great in neutral and forward purrs like a kitten. When shifting to reverse it dies like a weed on roundup. Actually, faster than that but the humor is needed at this point. We are at our wits end with this. I guess we could take it to the lake and let it run and never go into reverse...hehe!

Any ideas?

DD

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

check the shift interupter switch, if activating going into reverse ,the cable nut may not be seated all the way. manual says "no more than 2 threads showing"

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

check the shift interupter switch, if activating going into reverse ,the cable nut may not be seated all the way. manual says "no more than 2 threads showing"

is that all in the boat area? And where in the manual would I look?

Thanks Bt

 

[CaptainDucky]

Re: Closer Look at Bell Housing and Shift Cable

Ok...after reading some more in the service manual we have come to determine that the shift cable nut in the bell housing that we backed off to 4 threads showing was not what was intended. It says in book that it is to be secure. Now, we did use a GLM cable assembly etc... That should not matter correct?

So, we are going to take the outdrive off for a 4th time and tighten the cable nut and then go through the process again. This time making sure that the 1-3/8" core is showing. Now it says to crimp the cable...what does that mean? We did not crimp because the shift cable end tube has a sleeve with the two teeny set screws on it. We will set the 6" between the brass barrel and the end tube and redo everything.

Is this the possible problem?

I am on way to get new gasket again.....

DD