Drinkin fountian

I have a alpha drive on my VIP that im gonna be selling this spring. Shifter has always been really stiff and end of last year the shift interupts started hanging up. Im guessing this is a stretched cable? Which one do I replace? The one that goes to the lower unit, right? Not the one to the shifter, I shouldn't have to replace both, do I? I disconnected interupter switch but have heard that thats bad on lower unit and stretches the cable more, right? I should prob. replace this before I try to sell it HUH? Its not that hard to do is it? Have to take lower unit off too right?

Mr Maine

Its probably the cable from engine mounted bracket to outdrive. If its dry it goes hard causing the shift interupter to engage stalling the engine.

If the cable from shifter to engine were dry it would cause stiff shifting, but not affect the shift interrupter.

Unhook the shifter cable from the bracket and see how it moves. If its still stiff, both may need to be replaced

Drinkin fountian

Thanks lot for the reply. I've been trying to adjust and mess with shifter cable. I take it that if it is dry it has to be replaced? No way to lube it?

Amarket Owner

The easy shift should only engage while shifting out of gear. Drag within the lower shift cable will cause the switch to interact at the wrong time. The switch reacts to resistance from the lower cable when tries the control box cable tries to shift. A test is to remove the tip of the lower cable and manually shift (with engine off) and feel the movement of the cable. The cable should feel free and easy until the shift is complete where the clutch bottoms out. where the cable stops it must be sudden without drag in advance. Any resistance between the stops will indicate a problem. Either the cable or the shift arm or shift shaft is sticking. HELP
this is a place to print help page with links to a kit.
good luck Buddy

Drinkin fountian

Thanks! Sounds easy enough. I will do that