Shifting issue, slamming into gear

[num7live]

I started to have an issue with my drive not engaging properly last season. It started as a minor problem in the middle of the season and then slowly progressed. At the end of the season when I was hauling the boat out I had to give it a considerable amount of gas before it would engage and even then it would really ?slam? into gear. I had a similar issue about three seasons ago. That time the mechanic recommended replacing the clutch cone which ended up costing allot.

I found out from posting this issue previously that it may have to do with the shift cable. Last weekend I tried to recreate the problem out of the water, on muffs, with the drive cover removed. It worked fine: It shifted from forward to reverse to neutral several times without ?slamming?. The cable was a little stiff, but it rotated the outdrive linkage 45 degrees in either direction. Is 45 degrees the appropriate amount? Should it be rotating more? If so, It does not appear as though I have much more adjustment room on the drive end of the cable to make that happen.

I have not checked the gear lube level yet. I changed it prior to last season. I plan on changing it again before launching this season.

Any other thoughts on what might be causing this?

My fear is that I end up taking it to a mechanic and they are unable to recreate the problem much like I tried last weekend.

1999 Four Winns 190 Horizon
Engine: Volvo Penta 4.3GL
Drive: Volvo Penta SX

 

[KJSmitty]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Check the level of your drive fluid/oil...

My VP (DP model) was overfilled one time at the marina during winterization and it exhibited delayed shifting as well as a much exaggerated "thunk/slamming" etc. All better once at the "exact"/correct level.

Hopefully that's your only issue.

Good luck

 

[Colliemcc]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

I have the same problem at the min.
I'm away from my boat till the weeked I drained the gear oil last week gonna put some fresh stuff in and hope for the best....
Ive the same engine and drive as you.

Colm

 

[BOATLUD]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

On mercrusier they have what's called shift interrupt. What it does is interrup the ignition as you shift gears to help them mesh. Your engine may have something similar. It's mounted a micro switch on the shift cable near the top of the engine.

 

[num7live]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Thanks for all the responses

Update: I changed the gear lube and launched last weekend and launched the boat. It did the same thing it was doing late last season (ie. slamming into gear). Although it had no problems shifting into reverse.

I am thinking that this is probably due to a faulty/worn out shift cable. I called around to several mechanics in the area and most could not look at it for a few weeks. I found the proper length shift cable at a local VP parts store and I am going to pick it up this afternoon.

My question is: How hard is it to replace the shift cable? Does the drive need to be removed from the transom in order to replace?

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Keep us posted on how this turns out. Mine is doing the same thing. I changed my oil, (it was too full from previous owner) and after filling to the correct leve, it worked a lot better (for a while). It seems like mine wants to shift hard after running for a while.

If I shift into rev and then into forward, it is as smooth as butter EVERY TIME. If I go from sitting in N to forward, it will shift hard a lot of the time. Next time I'm out, I'm going to inspect the throttle control and linkage at outdrive.

The PO supposedly changed out the cable and controls recently, so hopefully it is just out of adjustment, or he put hooked up the control cable end in the wrong slot.

Again, keep us updated!
TIA

 

[Colliemcc]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

I had the same prob but last weekend I just filled the drive up to the first make and I also adjusted the shift cable so the shift pivot is in the forward position as possible. And so far so good touch wood..If is starts acting up again i will change the shift cable as the so called mechanic who replaced it last time before I knew how has one in and there is a loop in it so that cant be good.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

I am thinking that this is probably due to a faulty/worn out shift cable.

After reading your posts, I would tend to agree with you. I'm also in a very similar situation and I've actually lost F gear because it's so far out of adjustment. They can stretch and break, or just get old, corroded etc and just quit working correctly. There is a bellows that houses the cable on it's way out the back through the housing, if there's any sort of leak and it gets wet, it'll soon be on it's way out. I can't imagine jamming it in helps, either.

My question is: How hard is it to replace the shift cable? Does the drive need to be removed from the transom in order to replace?

Depending upon which one is defective, yes or no. There's two -- one ("upper") that goes from your shifter to the engine and one ("lower") that goes from your engine to the outdrive. They connect on your engine somewhere using a coupler. One pulls the other. So isolating your problem is paramount to figuring if the drive needs to be removed.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

I'm getting mine replaced via marina through this weekend -- I'm not as ambitious as you, considering the care, tools, and adjustments needed. I got an old outdrive as well, it may need a new tapped hole for the new cable...

It was enough struggle to get a boat not shifting into F out of the water.

At any rate, GOOD LUCK!

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

bds

Are you talking about a Volvo Penta, or a Mercruiser?

 

[Colliemcc]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

think he talking about the merc as the volvo only has the one shift cable

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

bds85466 is talking about a Merc so nearly 98% of what he said does NOT apply to this discussion since we are talking about a VOLVO.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

:redface:yep you guys are right, i'm wrong, sorry bout that. i missed it. though i'd say it's more around 85%, not 98%.:redface:

 

[num7live]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Update #2:

Got the boat back from the mechanic yesterday. Shift cable replaced

Put it in the water........ it does the exact same thing, no change. It only goes in reverse

Hauled it back out of the water, called the mechanic and left a message, have not heard back

I did some troubleshooting on it today. On the trailer, engine running in neutral with muffs, I disengaged the cable from the shift linkage. When I turn the shift linkage into reverse it makes a quiet "thud" noise and the prop starts spinning. When I turn the shift linkage into forward it does not make the noise and the prop starts spinning. This is what it had been doing before, but this time I took a long cardboard box and held it against the prop (thus recreating the resistance of the water). As I suspected, this little bit of resistance kept the prop from spinning.

It seems as though the "clutch" (or some other component of the drive, not sure of the term) is not engaging fully in forward.

Any ideas on the problem? Any ideas on the cause? It is looking like this problem is internal to the drive and will require some extensive disassembly and repair. I thought that the internal components of the drive were supposed to last for the life of the drive.

PS. the control box does shift much smoother, so the replacement is not totally useless.

 

[Don S]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Try this. remove the cotter pin and disconnect the linkage and shift it by hand and see if the shifting works or not.

 

[num7live]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

Don, Thanks for the response.

That is exactly what I did. Looks like I used the wrong terms in my initial description. See edits in red below

?I did some troubleshooting on it today. On the trailer, engine running in neutral with muffs, I disengaged the shift linkage from the shift arm. When I turn the shift arm into reverse it makes a quiet "thud" noise and the prop starts spinning. When I turn the shift arm into forward it does not make the noise and the prop starts spinning. This is what it had been doing before, but this time I took a long cardboard box and held it against the prop (thus recreating the resistance of the water). As I suspected, this little bit of resistance kept the prop from spinning.?

Any ideas?

 

[Don S]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

You need a new shift cone, your old one is slipping. Why, is the question.
Is your shift cable pushing it all the way into forward? If not, you will loose another shift cone.
BTW, if you "Hear or Read" it some where, do not try to lap in your model of shift cones with valve lapping compound. Leave that to the old 270 and 280 brass cones, not these new ones.

 

[num7live]

Re: Shifting issue, slamming into gear

It appears that the shift cable was/is pushing the shift arm the full amount in both directions. I have a steel prop on the drive and do allot of skiing and wakeboarding. Could that be overstressing the drive?

Talked to the mechanic today, he is going to do some more research on that drive and give me some options.

The last time I had this repair done (3 or 4 seasons ago) I seem to remember it cost about $1000. Is this problem just going to happen again? Should I start considering an entire new drive? Is this issue in the upper or lower gearhousing?