Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

[MercMonster]

I installed the new lower shift cable last night and everything went well, until when I installed the cable end onto the shift plate. The black plastic end piece on the lower cable that connects to the plate won't install/align properly w/ barrel slot (even when brass barrel is adjusted from extreme to extreme) unless the shifter is in neutral, which I'm thinking I read it's supposed to go in while in full forward, right? So when I shift into full forward, I check the shoe on the bell housing and its turned slightly sideways, indicating about neutral position.The shifter will not budge past neutral towards reverse, so basically I have neutral gear, while the forward position and reverse while is neutral position. So no forward according to the shift position on the bell housing. So why isn't this aligning properly when being installed? What am I doing wrong?

Also, with the new shift cable came a round plastic cable guide sort of thing that looks like it goes into a hole and clips into the hole to guide the cable. Is this used for guiding the cable out the back side of the bell housing thread hole? The only other possible place I could think it would go is where the cable goes through the transom assembly, but the spiral white plastic guard is said to be used to protect the cable through that part, according to my OEM manual.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

I installed the new lower shift cable last night and everything went well, until when I installed the cable end onto the shift plate. The black plastic end piece on the lower cable that connects to the plate won't install/align properly w/ barrel slot (even when brass barrel is adjusted from extreme to extreme) unless the shifter is in neutral, which I'm thinking I read it's supposed to go in while in full forward, right? So when I shift into full forward, I check the shoe on the bell housing and its turned slightly sideways, indicating about neutral position.The shifter will not budge past neutral towards reverse, so basically I have neutral gear, while the forward position and reverse while is neutral position. So no forward according to the shift position on the bell housing. So why isn't this aligning properly when being installed? What am I doing wrong?
With the cable unhooked at the shift plate end, push the cable in & turn the prop ccw until it fully locks......
The measurement from the center of the barrel nut to the eye on the cable end must be 6".....
Also, with the new shift cable came a round plastic cable guide sort of thing that looks like it goes into a hole and clips into the hole to guide the cable. Is this used for guiding the cable out the back side of the bell housing thread hole? The only other possible place I could think it would go is where the cable goes through the transom assembly, but the spiral white plastic guard is said to be used to protect the cable through that part, according to my OEM manual.

Is this the piece that goes under the shift slide on the aft end of the cable?.....

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

Yeah, I noticed it said to do that in the OEM manual. Maybe I'm putting the horse before the cart. The drive is not installed, I was just going to drop the end of the cable over the bolt/stud and slide the brass barrel down in the holder until I could make adjustments later when the drive was installed. I was speaking of the end of the lower shift cable that attaches to the shift plate inside the boat, up behind the engine. The end loop (eye) goes over the "bolt/stud" that is then held on by the nut, but the brass barrel is too far away from where it slides in when shift lever is in full forward position. The barrel won't get close enough even by screwing it to the end of the threads where it stops. If I put the shift lever in neutral, the brass barrel can, if set at the 6" mark, be dropped into the holder no problem. Just weird because the old cable that I removed, right before installing the new cable, the brass barrel was sitting in its holder at 6 inch mark just fine with shift lever in full forward position.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

What is happening at the other end of the cable?....
Is the shift slide stuck on the cable guide?.....​

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

No it looks to be sliding in and out normally. Me myself and I, so I can only shift, go back and check, shift, go back and check. I did everything by the book. Now remember, I just changed this over from the old style cable to the new style cable (new hole tapped from aft side of bell housing), so maybe there's a difference in there somewhere I'm just not recognizing yet??

Edit: Oh, well okay, when the shifter is in Neutral, something is telling the shift slide that its in reverse cause that's as far in as the shift slide will go into the bell housing. If I shift into full forward (neutral in this situation), the shift slide comes aft a little further. Does that sound like what its supposed to be doing, other than I have no REAL full forward? Shouldn't the shift slide come out a little further for forward position? Or maybe I just have it all backwards.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

So, you are saying that you can bottom out the shift slide into the bell housing?......​

 

[obezag]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

I think the plastic piece you're talking about does go into the transom. Stays there to protect cable. Mine still looked good so I left it alone. The spiral plastic sleeve goes around the cable where it contacts the exhaust.

 

[MercMonster]

Re: Lower Shift Cable Replacement Issue

I'm going over to work on it this evening. I'll take some pics of what's going on and bump this up tomorrow. Pics should explain it much better than I could. I'm on heavy meds for pain, so bear with me