Hard shifting

[clemsonteg]

I finally got the boat running right. The only problem I have left is it's kind of difficult to put the motor into gear forward or reverse. Motor is a 1978 85hp Johnson. It goes in and throttles up fine but it's difficult getting it into gear. What should I check for? The control box makes me nervous because I'm told if you take them apart they don't go back together when you don't know what you are doing

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

Already on page 4? Bump!

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

Well I pulled the cable off and it shifts fine and when I manually turn the prop and shift the lever with my hand without the cable attached it engages fine without much force. So what could be the deal?

 

[bernd64]

Re: Hard shifting

check you cables the will get some buldup in them i use wd 40 and soak them let it nice crowl in the cable and see if it goes any eazyer

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

check you cables the will get some buldup in them i use wd 40 and soak them let it nice crowl in the cable and see if it goes any eazyer

Where would I spray in the wd-40? Would I need to disassemble the control box so I can spray into the cable before it goes into the protective covering?

 

[bernd64]

Re: Hard shifting

take the cable off on the motor and spray some in it and hang it high so the wd can work his way in

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

take the cable off on the motor and spray some in it and hang it high so the wd can work his way in

I'll have to at it again I guess the last time I looked at it all I saw was the black shock looking thing no exposed cable or anything I could actually spray that it would get inside. Here's a pic of my control box btw

 

[bernd64]

Re: Hard shifting

sometimes you have to take the black plasic off it is made on with 2 srews.
it happens the cable get stiff this the only way to get them going or you go out and buy new ones but the a not ceap

 

[Daviet]

Re: Hard shifting

Disconnect the shift cable at the engine and shift the control box. If it is still had to move the shifter, save yourself some grief and replace the cable.

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

I took a pic at the motor. So those black pieces have to come off and then I can work them back and forth and spray in some wd?

 

[bernd64]

Re: Hard shifting

you see the smal round thing on the black plasic very carefull you have to un do this with some pleyrs if it not come apart eazy you have to get a new cable.
pleyers i mean 2 one on each side DONT BREAK it

 

[boobie]

Re: Hard shifting

If it still shifts hard without the cables attached to the mtr you may as well bit the bullet and replace them. At the same time you can lube up your control box.

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

So the small silver cylinder needs to come out does it unscrew or just pull out?

 

[bernd64]

Re: Hard shifting

it normaly unscrew but sometimes the a coroded and will not move be care full doing this

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

If it still shifts hard without the cables attached to the mtr you may as well bit the bullet and replace them. At the same time you can lube up your control box.

It seemed to shift fine earlier when I pulled the cable off the motor. The next step is to lube the cables. It that doesn't work I guess I'm taking it to the shop cause I'm tired of messing with it

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

I tried a little on those pieces and I can't get it to budge. To me it looks like that shouldn't even come apart. It shifts smooth with the cables undone but it does have a loop because I think the cables are too long. The cables on the boat now are Teleflex cables.

 

[clemsonteg]

Re: Hard shifting

Well 3 hours at the dock and $175 later it no longer shifts hard. Not sure what part actually fixed it but it sheared the gears on the inside of the control box. I was able to pick up a used control box with the cables and harness installed so then it was a simple swap. Shifts much easier now so it was either the cables or the gears inside were already on their way out. Can't complain, at least it didn't fail out in the middle of the lake.