OMC Shifting

[mthieme]

I think something broke today. I was in reverse going out of the slip and had to force it into forward.....the throttle became easy to move and it stayed in reverse. She's always been a little obstinate finding or going past neutral, but seemed much moreso today. I'll have to back her up to the ramp tomorrow and pull her to find out what went.
I'm thinking it might be something in the control box (?).

 

[danond]

Re: OMC Shifting

I bet the clamping screws on the cable end let go of the shift cable core. If your shifter is hard to move, they can definitely let it slip out if they're not really tight.

Happened to me, almost the same as you're telling here.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: OMC Shifting

What model OMC do you have?

 

[danond]

Re: OMC Shifting

Cobra. Yours is older? Maybe the cables are different - no clamping screws on the core?

 

[mthieme]

Re: OMC Shifting

The cables are moving topside.
It looks like the cable from the control box is tight at the carb...or maybe just mis-adjussted as it 'bends' or arcs some when all the way forward.
Either way....looks like I'll be popping the outdrive off this weekend.
The plug for the inspection hole is frozen - of course. I'll have to use some heat to free this puppy up. There's a pocket inside where the transfer linkage is that collects gunk. Would be nice to be able to clean this w/o popping the outdrive.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: OMC Shifting

If it was really "hard" to get out of gear, your ESA may not be activating.....The way the linkage is designed, it doesn't take a lot of pressure on the lower shift cable to close the switches.

That will cause you to have to "force" it out of gear (when running in the water).

The clutch-dogs are undercut so they don't easily pull out of gear when loaded.....The ESA is activated to "pulse" the ignition and subsequently "pulse" the torque when you apply out of gear pressure (FWD/REV).

I cannot remember which way is tension vs pressure on the lower shift cable, but if it was in tension you may have broken the lower shift cable. In any case if it was "hard" to move the lower shift cable and something "broke" down there, the drive MUST come off.

(it should be coming off every year or so anyway....so you should be good at it if you've had that boat a few years)


Cheers,


Rick

 

[danond]

Re: OMC Shifting

The plug for the inspection hole is frozen - of course. I'll have to use some heat to free this puppy up. There's a pocket inside where the transfer linkage is that collects gunk. Would be nice to be able to clean this w/o popping the outdrive.

That's not an inspection hole. It's to let water out (there shouldn't be any in there anyway). The drive should come off yearly, then that area of the outdrive doesn't get gunked up and you don't have to care about those plugs.

Start pulling your drive annually and you'll catch shift issues like this before they happen.