pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

[paparoof]

I'm working on installing a new lower shift cable in my pre-alpha boat. O/D serial number 4190135. Motor serial number: 4164537. Reading here I found that I must tap the bell-housing to accept the new-style cable. The cable that was in place had the nut on the transom side of the bell housing, the new-style has the nut on the aft side of the bell housing. I'm working from a PDF I found posted by Don S. in another thread: LINK

I ordered this tap from McMaster Carr:

I ordered this cable kit from iboats:

The first thing that puzzled me was that I could spin the tap all the way through the hole with just finger strength. The tap didn't cut anything. The hole already seemed to be threaded all the way through for this tap. I guessed maybe the previous owner had replaced the bell housing with a new style and reused the original shift cable?

Now the problem is that I cannot drive the new cable all the way into place so that the nut sits flush against the bell housing. This is as far as I dare to go because as you can see I'm about to round off the corners of the brass nut if I push it any farther:

I'm positive I do not have it cross threaded, if you look from the other side you can see it's still nicely centered in the hole and not crooked:

The pictures in the PDF show the brass nut seated all the way against the bell housing, so I'm assuming that's what needs to happen to keep things sealed up properly and also to allow proper adjustment of the shift cable once I install all this back into the boat.

So do I have the wrong tap, the wrong shift cable or am I making myself sick over nothing?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

1 more turn and you would have bottomed out on the cables threads, looks good to me.

 

[paparoof]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

Well I can't just leave it like this can I? The way I figure it, the shift mechanism could go another 1/16" or so if the nut was fully seated. That last 1/16" could be the difference between getting all the way into gear or not.

But I've never done this before so I don't know.

Would a 6-sided socket (as opposed to the 12 I'm using) give me the extra grip to get the nut to make that last turn? Is that what I'm missing here?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

The shoulder on the Mallory is normal, your seated all the way. Merc dosent have that shoulder.I`ve installed Mallory one`s and never had a problem.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

2 things to consider. 1st the tap has to be cylindrical and not have a conical leading edge. If it's the right tap the threads will allow the fixture to bottom against the bell housing. And you are right to insist that it goes flat against the bell housing, if it does not you won't be able to shift properly.

 

[paparoof]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

The tap came through the hole enough that the flat/straight part was all the way through. I ran it through smoothly from both ends till the tap bottomed out. It fit the existing threads perfectly. It never cut any metal at all. The hole was already threaded perfectly, all the way though for this tap. No idea why.

The more I think about this, the more I think I need the actual socket made for this. I used a 9/16 deep well socket, but it's 12-sided and wasn't quite long enough to fit all the way over the head of the nut so I wasn't getting as good a grip as I should have.

Maybe I'll turn in my man-card and take it to a local Merc shop and offer to pay them to turn the nut the last turn.

 

[dingdongs]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

never changed one before but if the gold looking flange is threaded it has to have a recess cut into it but this may make it weak so the first thread may have to be removed from the hole first.if your going to drill it to remove it may be best to screw the tap that you already have in from the other side and leave it in the hole about 3/16 ths from protruding as when you try drilling with a drill it will try and go straight thru the hole and then there will be no threads left.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: pre-alpha shift cable modification not going so well

No need to make any modifications, the Mallory end just looks different.Measured against a Merc end the overall dimentions are the same.