SP-A no forward but has reverse.

[mybadford]

AQ231A SP-A 1990 Baretta Phaser 230OB Took my boat out this evening and ran up river for about 6 miles. I stopped for a couple minutes and went to put it in forward again and it wouldn't go. It would go in reverse and move. I was able to reach up behind the panel and the cable would slide like it was suppose to. I thought the hub might have been jacked up in the prop so I changed the prop. The boat was shut off roughly 7-10 minutes. Started it up and it went into forward. Never give it another thought. Floated for a couple hours and then decided to drive. Started the boat and it went into forward. Drove another 6 miles and stopped and then it wouldn't go into forward again. Tried a couple times with no luck. Just for the heck of it I put a third prop on. After the new prop it still wouldn't go in forward. I watched over the back while a friend put in forward. the prop would barely turn. Tried putting it in forward several times. Once in a while I could hear the engine faintly slow down like it was trying to go in gear. I shut the engine off and took the cover off the back of the drive and watched the linkage move to make sure it was doing what it was suppose to. Everything seemed ok from what I could tell for sitting in the water. If it was in forward the prop would only turn one way but catch if I tried spinning it the other way. Put it in reverse and it did the same but opposite direction. I ended up getting towed back to the boat ramp. While being towed I started looking at google. Read where I should check the oil. Got the boat back on the trailer and pulled it out and checked the oil. It had plenty of oil. It wasn't milky. More dark then anything. It smelled like gear oil but seemed thin. Backed the boat back in the water lowered the drive and started it up and put it in forward. It went in two times. Third and fourth time it wouldn't go into gear. From what I've read that SP-A drive is suppose to use the same weight oil as the engine but a DP-A drive uses gear oil????? Is this true?? It almost seems as the oil is getting hot and maybe losing its viscocity. Once it cools that maybe its letting it slide into gear??? Anybody have any tips, tricks or advice???

Sorry for it being a long post but tried to be as detailed as possible.

 

[bruceb58]

Sounds like you need to first check the throw of the shifter to make sure it's going all the way into forward. Shift into forward and then take off the cable and see if you can move it further toward forward.

It is true that the SP-A takes engine oil and the DP-A uses gear oil but 30 viscosity motor oil is around the same viscosity as 85W gear oil.

 

[mybadford]

Thanks for reassuring the oil viscocity. I did happen look at the linkage. It seemed as if it was going as far as it should. I do have a left hand prop. The rod that goes to the pivoting assembly up to the arm about is on the right side. When it goes into gear that pivoting assembly roles almost all the way down to where it almost hits the lower housing. I will look closer at it though because it was getting dark by the time I was looking at it. I tried twisting the upper pivot arm that selects the gear thinking the was some wear or slack not fully engaging it in gear but it wouldn't move any further.

 

[Scott Danforth]

there are a few bushings in the shift linkage assembly that wear over time, however most likely your shift cable is out of adjustment or needing replacing.

I would start by re-adjusting the shift cable.

 

[mybadford]

I changed the oil and put straight sae 30 in the drive. I even ran a couple quarts through to help flush it. I went through the linkage I double checked it. It really looks good. No excessive play in any of the linkage. I unhooked the cable and manually put it in forward the jumped in the boat and put the control in forward. The cable was pushed out further that what I was able to move it. I'm confident the cable and linkage is where it needs to be. I took the boat and back it in the water. Started it up and stuck in in forward and nothing. I repeteadly tried with no luck. If I left it in forward and at idle I could hear it trying to engage and after a few seconds it would engage. I did that several times where it put the control in forward and I'd hear it trying and it would engage into forward. If I revved it above idle it would not engage until it came back to an idle. A coupes times I put it in forward and let it engage I would bring it up to 1200 rpms and it sounds like there was a grinding noise. It did not do this prior to changing oil. After around 2,000roms I didn't hear the noise. Did I use the right oil? Any other where to look?

 

[Scott Danforth]

start with adjusting the linkage as per the manual.

you are either not throwing the shift arm all the way due to a mis-adjustment, or you wore out your cone clutches

 

[mybadford]

Awe man!!! Come on Scott. Don't you know of a magic trick? I was waiting for somebody to say the cone clutch. How big of a project is that? Anybody have experience in changing the cone? Good link for the best price on parts or what a Marina might charge? Here is a video of my boat. You can hear is as it is trying to engage and then finally does.

 

[mybadford]

Anybody know if there should be any or much end play for the gear selector that comes out of the gearbox housing? When I put it in forward it comes out about 1/8". Reverse sucks it back in.