Shift Interrupt setup woes

[wellcraft-classic210]

Hi
I have had a problem for some time that If i adjust so the shift interrupt to behave as expected coming out of forward Then when coming out of reverse I must give a really crisp shift and sometime go towards drive to get the sift interrupt to work.

As I have tried various adjustments on the arm and cables I can feel it getting harder to shift at the throttle control but still not getting good result -- stalled 1 time etc

I have checked the switch activation point and its less that 1/8 using a drill but as a gauge and end play in cables seems to be in spec per the Achris video as well.



I was looking at the roller switch activation with a DVM and noticed a couple of things that I wonder are to be expected.

The Up activation differs from the down activation distance as it seems the roller arm bends more when it moves up.

The switch does seem to be fairly stiff to activate even after using silicone spray and cleaning the plunger

My questions are as follows.


Is this normal or is my switch activation pressure part of the issue ( dried up lubricant inside or other ?? )

Is the upgrade a better design and should I consider that.

 

[achris]

The upgrade uses a plunger switch rather than a lever switch, and yes, it's a better design.

Chris.....

 

[Bt Doctur]

I have had a problem for some time that If i adjust so the shift interrupt to behave as expected coming out of forward

If this happens when only in the water then you might need a new lower shift cable

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Gents -- Thanks for the expert feedback-

-- Given that the main problem is staying in gear Sounds like an upgraded interrupt mechanism may help.

-- It only started stalling once in a while when I used extreme linkage adjustments -- And the shift cable is not very old.

Going to try once more to adjust and if no luck will break out the charge card.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Might get some disagreement, but in my somewhat limited experience, if we meet the three requirements for proper operation: i) the lower shift cable is smooth enough ii) there are no mechanical issues iii) the linkage adjustments are correct - then the interrupt won't move at all when shifting on land and will be very momentary in the water.

If the switch is causing the issue, then it still seems there is another underlying cause, since the cam is still swinging.

Doesn't matter how new a lower cable is. If it ever got water in it it can and will get sticky, particularly salt water. I found pulling the drive, disconnecting and removing the upper cable extensions and then pulling the wire out of the housing will let you use an electrical parts cleaner spray - I used CRC brand - to spray out the housing and then blow it out with canned or compressed air. Spray off the cable and wipe dry. Reinstall, test for smoothness. Should not need any lubricant on the cable. Seems worth the effort anyway.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Gents -- Please Correct me if I am wrong here

I am thinking that if the drive wont disengage and the motor does not stall then it seems something other than the sift cable is the root cause.

I can adjust the barrel nuts for easily coming out of forward or reverse ( but not both on same setting ) and its been that way for some time even with a new cable.

I recently did some study and found that the arm is adjustable by moving the stud along with any barrel nut adjustments.

The net result is a harder pull on the shifter when coming out of gear but its got to be all the way for the interrupt to work on both directions. And in that case i am starting too get some stalling also.


So it seems that the interrupt is not easy to trigger in a manner that releases the drive

And I noticed the switch is hard to activate to the point the arm on the roller switch seems to flex and depending on the direction of the actuator ( as in pushing or pulling the roller towards its arm pivot point ) it affects the trigger point of the switch.

I am going to revisit all this and try readjusting soon so any input is welcome.


Just hoping to verify root cause before replacing unnecessary parts.


Good tip on cleaning the shift cable. Thanks Rick !

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Gents
I reshaped the interrupt roller switch arm so that it triggers equally on the forward and reverse movement and also Is triggered when a 1/8 rod is inserted under the roller using a DVM.


Retraced all steps & readjusted cables per the A-chris video & will try on the lake soon.



My shift cable slop is right at the max with 9/16 movement -- Wondering if that's making adjustments more difficult.

Any advice on this? Is this a concern // Common causes of slop & best ways to pinpoint them ETC.


Thanks!!!

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

It works !!! It works !!! It works !!!!


I readjusted the cable per the famous AChris video -- After getting the switch arm reshaped ( as in bent ) so equal movement up or down triggered it and reasonably close to the start of the cam movement It works !!!!

This will help as the wife was having " Issues " when we manually dropped anchor and she was at the helm.

Achris thanks for sharing your expertise -- that video obviously deserves an "academy award"

Did I mention it works !!!

 

[Tycer]

Great news. Thanks for all the updates!

 

[achris]

It works !!! It works !!! It works !!!!


I readjusted the cable per the famous AChris video -- After getting the switch arm reshaped ( as in bent ) so equal movement up or down triggered it and reasonably close to the start of the cam movement It works !!!!

This will help as the wife was having " Issues " when we manually dropped anchor and she was at the helm.

Achris thanks for sharing your expertise -- that video obviously deserves an "academy award"

Did I mention it works !!!

Glad I could help.

 

[icyb]

Gents
I reshaped the interrupt roller switch arm so that it triggers equally on the forward and reverse movement and also Is triggered when a 1/8 rod is inserted under the roller using a DVM.


Retraced all steps & readjusted cables per the A-chris video & will try on the lake soon.



My shift cable slop is right at the max with 9/16 movement -- Wondering if that's making adjustments more difficult.

Any advice on this? Is this a concern // Common causes of slop & best ways to pinpoint them ETC.


Thanks!!!

this has good info page 11 . I had the same problem and the one eight movement fixed it also. https://f01.justanswer.com/oldnewenglandmarine/b9a4482e-6540-4422-a54b-97849e8539cf_mshift1.pdf

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Like that procedure !!!! // Thanks


My drive has a lot of hours on it so-- Just out of curiosity I may measure the degrees of movement for shift spool wear when I change the water pump over the winter ( even though the recent repair seems be holding and working well )

 

[Rick Stephens]

I had an original '89 Alpha 1 that had a really weird issue, after running for 20 or 25 minutes the shift shaft would get really stiff to turn and trip the interrupt every time tried to shift it in or out of gear. It would do it every time. Not thinking that's your issue, I still don't know what caused mine to do that. I replaced it with an SEI and stopped worrying about smacking into docks. I agree with you that looking at well worn shifting linkage and spools is worth the effort.

Rick

 

[achris]

I had an original '89 Alpha 1 that had a really weird issue, after running for 20 or 25 minutes the shift shaft would get really stiff to turn and trip the interrupt every time tried to shift it in or out of gear...

That sounds like something bent or over/undersize internally that gets tight on warming... It wouldn't be easy to find either. Nasty. It would involve stripping the box and measuring everything for straighten, and dimensional conformity. Cheaper and less 'hair pulling' to just replace with a new unit. :thumb:

Chris........

 

[Rick Stephens]

That sounds like something bent or over/undersize internally that gets tight on warming... It wouldn't be easy to find either. Nasty. It would involve stripping the box and measuring everything for straighten, and dimensional conformity. Cheaper and less 'hair pulling' to just replace with a new unit. :thumb:

Chris........

Thanks Chris.... I did the math on buying the tools to pull apart and reassemble a lower. Quickly came to conclusion I couldn't afford to own them for one boat, or even to own the darn boat. Advice from this forum helped immensely. An SEI solved it in a couple days and had a nice warranty. I sold that as a part 2 years later for $300 less than paid for, still in warranty.

Rick