I screwed up install of lower shift cable?

[Fiat4Fun]

Howdy,
Finishing up replacing my bellows and installed a new shift cable.
Put the outdrive back on, made sure the "shoe" was lined up.
When I went to put the drive cable connection on the motor, I pushed it all the way in and it did not lock up the propeller. I must of messed up with the cable and the pivot point?
Will pull the drive off tomorrow, so any suggestions are appreciated.
I assume I should use a new mercruiser gasket and water o ring after I remove the drive?
Thanks

 

[dubs283]

if you're careful and don't rip the gasket you might be able to reuse it as long as the red sealing material isn't compromised. o-rings ought to be fine

check to make sure the roller on the bell housing shift shaft is seated between the arms on the shift slide at the cable end. the slide can rotate with the arms down and the roller wont be in between them

 

[MichaelBC]

There is a little tool available from Mercruiser to keep the slide in place while you push the drive in. I think it makes it easier.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Most of us install the cable completely so that dosent happen and then make the final adjustment. Have someone hold everything in place so the lower shoe is straight. now install the black sleeve and lock the core down, with control box in full fwd, install and adjust cable to fit. test to make any minute adjustments

 

[Pruno]

When I went to put the drive cable connection on the motor, I pushed it all the way in and it did not lock up the propeller.

Any chance you replaced the impeller too, or split the out drive? Could be your shift shoe isn’t aligned correctly in the LU…

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Thanks for the feedback,
So I pulled the drive off, checked the cable for movement, and it moves easily with it connected at engine. With the drive on, I don't get enough travel to get into reverse. I have the drive removed currently.
I did split the drive to replace the oil o ring, so maybe I did something to the shoe and and messed it up there? I can move the shoe with the dive off and lock the prop, so it looks like it goes into reverse, neutral and forward.
Maybe I put the shoe on 180 degrees off? Which way should the off centered "shoe" be facing? I have the "long" part going towards the gimbal housing. Hard for me to see getting more travel out of the cable due to the shoe being off.
How do I check the alignment of the shoe? Currently with the drive off and facing straight, the drive is in Forward gear.....

 

[MichaelBC]

If you want to extend the way the cable is making then you can adjust that inside the boat. The end of the cable is mounted to the shift plate in an long hole. You can move the cable up a little and tighten the nut again to extend the way.

I remember that there was a post recently where a guy also could not switch to reverse after shift cable change, Finally it turned out the that did not screw in the retainer nut the holds the cable in the gimbal all the way. So this nut did block the way of the cable ...

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Thanks for the response. I am pretty sure I got the cable fully seated in the housing at the drive end. When you say adjust the cable inside, are you talking about the threaded on section with the jam nut or the post that mounts to the end of the cable? I don't see the adjustment there, but will look again for a long hole. Just to clarify, it is a 1986 Alpha one Gen 1. I assume the measure meant in forward is 6"? I think I saw somewhere that the earlier drives were a different measurement? Will grab the manual again to check that.
With the drive off, with the drive in forward, the "shoe" goes straight like it should mount to the boat. IF it was off one tooth or so, would the drive still have the shoe align with the bell housing?
Hate to split the case, but not a big deal if I put it together wrong ;-)

 

[MichaelBC]

I guess a picture explains it better what I wanted to say. The more you move the cable up in the long hole the bigger is the way it makes.

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Thanks for the picture. I did loosen that bolt and put in the lowest position. Today I put the drive back in, double checked that the drive was actually in forward gear with the shoe pointing forward. Removed the upper and lower cable and went by the book and got it together. Now I can't put it in reverse with the throttle lever.
Will look at it on Friday, but my guess is I messed up on the shift cable adjustment. I think I will disconnect the upper and make sure I can put the drive in all three positions. Any other advice is appreciated, and I am still not sure if I am off one tooth on the drive unit, but when I put it straight, the drive will lock when I spin CCW.
I will reread the factory manual again......

 

[Pruno]

With the drive off, with the drive in forward, the "shoe" goes straight like it should mount to the boat. IF it was off one tooth or so, would the drive still have the shoe align with the bell housing?

I'm a student of all, master of none. Just trying to help if I can, so take what I say with a grain of salt, perhaps one of the OGs or gray hairs will chime in...
I've only split my case twice (I have a gen 1, and shift issues same as you) if memory serves me there are only 10ish splines on the lower shift shaft. The rotation of forward-to-neutral-to-reverse is less than 90*, so being off one tooth would equate to a relatively large rotational mismatch. I believe the procedure for alignement is to clock the lower shift shaft fully CW and to lock the drive in forward gear by rotating the prop CCW - AND - locking it in place with a bungee while you mate the upper and lower.
There is probably a way of checking the clocking of the shift shaft without splitting the case, I am just not seeing it in the manual. Other than checking the shoe is in the 12 o'clock position while the prop is locked CCW I would redo the mating procedure. IMHO.

 

[MichaelBC]

Thanks for the picture. I did loosen that bolt and put in the lowest position. Today I put the drive back in, double checked that the drive was actually in forward gear with the shoe pointing forward.

The lowest position might not make enough way to switch your gears. Try to put the bolt in the upper position and if that works then slowly put it down stap by step.
The shoe pointing forward is the forward gear, this is normal.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

By adjusting the stud higher in the slotted opening, you are extending the amount of travel the cable makes, allowing reverse to engage. Here is a video one of our mods made on checking cable stretch and adjustment. It is in the "Adults Only" sticky at the beginning of this forum.

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Cool,
I checked out the video, very helpful. I was not sure how much travel each cable has. I will go out and check my adjustments, but it looks like the moving the lower connection up in the slot should get me into reverse.
I am feeling better about the out drive shoe, since if it was off by one tooth, it would not align right.
Thanks for advice,