SEI 116 shift cable issues, help please

[Lucas68W]

Forewarning this will be somewhat long.

I purchased the boat a few months ago and it already had a brand new SEI 116 Upper and lower unit on it. I had an incident catching a rock on the prop, and ended up having the lower unit sent off for warranty work. They sent me a brand new one. Before this the boat shifted and performed perfectly. No issues. Ever since I changed the lower unit out, when I come out of gear from either forward or reverse it stalls out and dies most likely from engaging the shift interuptor for to long. Going into forward it's sometimes hesitating as well and I can hear a partial engagement before the firm clunk. So the question is this. Why would changing the lower unit cause shift issues? I have not touched the upper unit nor the cable at all.

I went to go double check my shift cable measurements today and apparently the lower shift cable is peened to the threaded rod. Rather than drilling and putting a bandaid on this, I would like to find the problem and fix it. Do all of the shift cables need to be readjusted because of the new lower? And if so how is the lower shift cable supposed to adjust when I cannot turn the brass barrel.

I've spent hours researching this hoping y'all can help, thank you.

It's also worth mentioning that the prop seems to be engaging fully and is working correctly, locked firmly in place in all gears going to appropriate directions for a standard rotation.

 

[Bt Doctur]

. Do all of the shift cables need to be readjusted because of the new lower? And if so how is the lower shift cable supposed to adjust when I cannot turn the brass barrel. I know, merc`s newest idea to stop you from working on your own Anyting anything is changed or replaced inspecting the adjustment is always a plus. Most people just drill out the dimple but most just replace the support with an old one that moves as required

 

[Lucas68W]

Yea I just got off the phone with the SEI tech he said he had not heard of a lower cable not being adjustable.. this was new to me as well. So it's okay to drill this out to be able to make the adjustments on the lower cable? The drive is locking in fine, it just seems as if it's a little off.

And what is this support that you are speaking of replacing?

 

[Bt Doctur]

The threaded sleeve with the brass barrel

 

[Lucas68W]

Ahh okay yes that would make sense. That's probably where I'll start is to double check lower cable measurement. One more question.

When I pop the lower cable off the shift mechanism and push in on the cable all the way, to engage the drive in forward, if I push in all the way it actually locks the drive down completely in both directions. I have to pull back slightly and that is when I get the firm lock in counterclockwise. Once I've got it locked but free in the other direction is that when I should make my 6" measurement? I'm assuming that is correct, but if it is that cable is off by 1/4"..... I reckon I should check for excess slop in the cable too?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Either your describing it wrong or you have something wrong. Disconnecting the cable and pushing inward all the way, have someonw move the prop CCW till locked, This is Fwd, Not if it was hooked back up with the control box in full fwd and you adjust the barrel and reattach it the drive will be locked CCW and will "ratchet" CW. The reverse will be true for rev. locked CW and ratchet CCW

 

[Rick Stephens]

I had a new SEI Alpha 1 and the shoe would not turn straight forward when in forward. Justin, the tech guy at SEI, said the drive was set up tight and I could either wrench it straight while attaching drive or he'd replace it. I used a small wrench and held the shoe straight, felt like I was holding against a spring, while sliding the drive in. So it is possible that an SEI is set up with the gear and fork a bit on the tight side.

RIck

 

[Lucas68W]

I must have been describing it wrong, that is what it does. However if I really push the lower cable in with some decent force and have someone try to work the prop it will lock the drive down in both directions. If I ease tension off the cable about a 1/4" later it will find gear and be locked going ccw and ratchet going cw. What you would expect out of a standard rotation.

Rick: I've already got the lower bolted up and about 4 hours on the new lower since the install. I'm wondering if the tolerances aren't a bit on the tight side and causing a bit of a drag on the cable causing the shift interlock to engage and stall the motor. It was a bit of a pain getting the new lower onto the upper. How did the vessel run after you got everything together? Did you have to adjust your cables after changing the lower?

 

[Rick Stephens]

I did end up doing a teeny bit of adjustment to compensate. Been too many years now to remember what and why. That was in 2014. I think I moved the cable to tighten up reverse and away from forward, since forward was engaged short of normal.

 

[Lucas68W]

Appreciate it Rick, think I'm going to give that a shot. It's close but it's definitely a tick off.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Good luck to you! It is always a mystery how to compensate for something a little off.

Rick

 

[Lucas68W]

Posting an update just for the curious, you can drill out the brass barrel and get it to rotate. I had to adjust it 3/16" to get the 6" out of the lower. Will let you know how it goes