I really need some help. I am going to go into detail as something I say might trigger a positive response. I have a 1996 2330 Chaparral with Mercruiser 454 bravo III. I took it out the other day, it ran great. Took it out again last weekend, and when we put the boat into the water, we heard water trickling into hull. Pulled it out and found out where the water was coming from. The rubber boot that covers the shift cable had tore a little. Once we put the boat back into the water and trimmed down(out of trailer mode) the boot compressed and stopped leaking, so we went out and played. We trolled for 3-4 hours in the gulf. After returning to the bay, we opened the motor up running 55-60mph. We saw some fish jumping and pulled in to investigate, the motor came to an idle and we trolled through the fish twice and suddenly the motor died. We could not get it to crank. This is due to it being stuck in the forward position. Had it towed in, back on trailer now.
I tried to put the shifter handle, ie the one next to the steering wheel, but it had to much resistance to push forward and backwards. The shifter handle has 2 cables which run off it to the motor, 1 to the carb, the other to an arm that will push forwards or back. This arm has another cable attached below the shifter cable, which runs through the transom, the rubber boot, and into the lower unit. I first thought the cable was froze up, so I removed the lower cable(the one running from arm to lower unit) and the driver shifter handle was free to move. This lead me to to believe that it was the lower shifter cable(the one running from arm to lower unit) which was froze up.
I am thinking that several things could have happened. 1. salt water froze up that cable since it is now exposed due to the rubber boot being torn. Question - if water can now come into boat, couldn't it also get into the lower unit? would it mix with the gear lube, maybe causing the gears to overheat when i opened it up, and thus welding them together?
2. Maybe just the arm inside the lower unit in which this cable attaches froze up?
I really dont know where to go from here, where to start troubleshooting? I would really appreciate and and all comments that you might have. Thanks again for reading and your replies. Paul Wray
I tried to put the shifter handle, ie the one next to the steering wheel, but it had to much resistance to push forward and backwards. The shifter handle has 2 cables which run off it to the motor, 1 to the carb, the other to an arm that will push forwards or back. This arm has another cable attached below the shifter cable, which runs through the transom, the rubber boot, and into the lower unit. I first thought the cable was froze up, so I removed the lower cable(the one running from arm to lower unit) and the driver shifter handle was free to move. This lead me to to believe that it was the lower shifter cable(the one running from arm to lower unit) which was froze up.
I am thinking that several things could have happened. 1. salt water froze up that cable since it is now exposed due to the rubber boot being torn. Question - if water can now come into boat, couldn't it also get into the lower unit? would it mix with the gear lube, maybe causing the gears to overheat when i opened it up, and thus welding them together?
2. Maybe just the arm inside the lower unit in which this cable attaches froze up?
I really dont know where to go from here, where to start troubleshooting? I would really appreciate and and all comments that you might have. Thanks again for reading and your replies. Paul Wray
