Reverse adjustment?

[Smokey01]

I recently purchased a 1990 Sea-Swirl Striper with an OMC 5.8 Cobra. The first trip out it shifted hard and aggressively in reverse. Adjust that and seamed fine for a tip or two. Now, loads up and stalls when engaged in reverse. Is this my ESA switch? Also, my secondaries on my Holley carb' is sticking causing a high rpm after running, not allowing me to shift into neutral unless I pull the cover and push it back. I can fix that, but I am not sure about the stalling? Any thoughts?

 

[Lou C]

Your ESA may be sticking on in Reverse, could be a sticky cable or the little buttons on the microswitches eventually wear and can stick on. About 5 years ago I replaced both switches and the ESA module, I had adjusted the cable the year before. For it to really shift right all the steps should be followed, starting with checking the shift rod height (drive off) making sure the shift cable does not have excessive drag (less than 2.5 lbs) and the bell crank in the pivot housing is not crudded up with deposits, and of course adjusting the transom shift cable and the remote cable. When its all done right it will shift as smooth as a Volvo. Mine does, it will go into neutral with one finger pressure on the control. No stalling either.