doctor_ratz

I have a 382 Formula with 500hp's and Bravo's with Livorsi throttle / shift controls. Late last summer, one of the drives would occasionally not shift into forward when the shift lever was moved. It would find reverse just fine. After several shifts at the lever, it would finally go into gear, generally with a clunk. I looked at the shifter, and everything looks good. Any one have any advice ???
I am a pretty good mechanic, but this is my first big block/bravo boat. Most of my previous experience has been with Alpha drives.
Any help would be apppreciated.
Pete

Mr Gadgets

Pete,
It could be just a cable adjustment. If you remove the cable with the barrel connector, it should line up with the holder, when the drive is in neutral.
Pull the cotter pin and remove the barrel, wiggle the cable, dont try to shift it without the motor turning over.. It should find center (there is a ball and spring in the back cap that will fall into a dent on the linkage). Then try to slide the barrel back into the holder.. if it is off, adjust it. Note how far off it is.. This may be all that is needed.
It also could be wear on the cone clutch, but it sounds like linkage to me.
Another thought is the cable is streatched and adjustment may not bring it back into line. But the adjustment is a start.
Hope that helps.
Dick

getrdunn

iTrader: (7)

your on the right track with this one especially if the cable is stretched and at times you can't even get the adjustment out of it to correct the problem. Good cables are well worth the money. As mentioned above I would certainly rule out any adjustment first. I've had this happen before also.

indywhsle

Don't mean to hijack but one of my drives had a delay before going into gear. It finally came out of gear while under throttle. Could this be a cable? or is it the clutch? By the way it was during the Cumberland poker run about 300 yards from the start. $500 down the tubes.

Trippin

To both Doctor Ratz and indywhsle

I would definetely suspect the cable first, however after replacing the cable(s) and or verifying the condition you should move on to the yoke & cam assembly itself. If you have had any drive work done lately or have installed drives from an alternate source it is possible that the yoke & cam assembly installed is the older model and is hanging on the gear set collars while your trying to shift it.

The tell tale that that is the problem is it will shift fine out of the water, but in the water you'll fight with it and nothing you do makes it better.


Indywhsle - I was late arriving at State Dock this past year and missed my ride, to bad we hadn't met, I'd of had you going again so you could've at least participated. Bummer Dude.

indywhsle

I got it going after idling with one drive for an hour before I found someone with the right size socket. I swapped the props so I could go forward but I was in the mood to run it alone. Oh well maybe next year and I will never not have my prop wrench on the boat again.

Mr Gadgets

Years ago I was coming into a dock and the motor died, by the time I got fired again I had to hit rev at high rpms.. After that the drive would shift into fwd and slip. I adjusted the cable, both adjustments and still no help. Finally I removed the shift fork. The cam ramps had been modifed. Now when I shifted it hard, I suspect I bent something.. But a new shift fork assy fixed the problem.
But in this case I know when the problem started.. I have seen some very flattened ridges on the cone before, but never did a direct replacement and seen the problem resolved. I have seen the seating surface torn up also.
I have seen the ball and spring come apart in the back cap.
So cable adjustments first then open it up to check everything.
If the gear stack is too tight, it will cause shifting problems also..
Dick

doctor_ratz

Thanks for the input so far.
As I mentioned, These are my first Bravo's, so I am not that familiar with what is inside of them.
A friend told me that bravo's have a different shifting mechinism than an Alpha. He said he had a similar problem and it was some sort of wedge that drives the shifter on the out drive.
My main confusion is that it will work fine about 80% of the time, but then give me a problem 3 or 4 times in a row. Once it is in gear it does not slip, grind, or chatter.
I am having the drives re-sealed this spring, is there something I, or my mechanic should be looking for when we reseal that could solve the shifting issue ?

Panther

My guess, probably just a shift cable adjustment or a new cable needed which was already suggested.

Panther

If it came out of gear under load I suspect something came apart in the drive... Possibly the bearing inside the cone or the spring let go... Once they're in gear they can't just pop out under load unless something is wrong... Even if it was a bad cable ajustment that usually just wears the fork down but it'll stay in gear.