Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

[Don S]

Re: Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

The shift interrupt switch is needed so the outdrive will come out of gear when you go from a gear back to neutral. With the switch not working, it would be very difficult to get it out of gear.
If you are just cruising along and the engine dies, then you need to replace the switch. But, if the engine dies when you try to change gears, then you have a shift cable that's bad or linkage is binding.

 

[lkmhowe807]

Re: Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

The shift interrupt switch is needed so the outdrive will come out of gear when you go from a gear back to neutral. With the switch not working, it would be very difficult to get it out of gear.
If you are just cruising along and the engine dies, then you need to replace the switch. But, if the engine dies when you try to change gears, then you have a shift cable that's bad or linkage is binding.

Ok well 90% of the time it dies when cruising along. Once or twice when we have turned it off and set for awhile, then try to start it would not start. But is it actually a switch? Because it was a wire that my husband had pulled out, then it fired right up, but if he plugged the wire back in it would not start. So is there a switch somewhere we need to look for or just replace that wire? Or is that the shift cable you mention above?

 

[lkmhowe807]

Re: Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

Also is it easy to change out the switch, will I need any special tools? Wondering if I should do it or take it to someone.

 

[paulrfrancisco]

Re: Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

I you beleive its the switch, then when it is not working, try to jiggle the shifter in the neutral position or re-shift into gear and then back to neutral.. then retry to start.... Also while looking at the shift interupter switch, you should be able to manipulate the reed (little metal tab that is pressed by the shifting cam mechanism) on the switch to and see if you hear it click in and out...It could be slightly out of adjustment...

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Wife trying to help frustrated husband! 305 LX Mercruiser 5.0

Click on the link below and look at pages 2A-13 thru 2A-23 (noted at the bottom of each page).

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14a2.pdf