Can someone help me with instructions on how to adjust my oudrive cables? Std. mercury side mount single control. After our new motor was installed my Forward/Rev has been off, late to engage. I'm not sure if I tighten or losen the 2 cables mounted on the transom? Jon

Do you have bravo or alpha drive?

Bravo 1, soon to be bravo XZ.

There was a thread on here about 2 month back ,,,,,with same issiu,,do a search. It was explained very good.

Well to ways to do this one is merc has a black plastic tool with three slots in it make shur it aujusted right.if you have not installed new cables then you might not need the tool.look at the shift cables and study the way they move while shifting from forward to rev.find the cable that goes from the helm to the engine. pull the pins out and pull that cable off the bracket.then make shur the other cable to the drive is in neutral by turning the prop both ways to spin free, at the same time pushung and pulling the cable that is still on the bracet the center is neutral. then start turning the black nob on the threaded part of the cable in you hands by the engine and line it up with the one on the bracket. install it and try it with the engine on only.If the cables are bad then this might not work or it will take a few times to get it better.good luck.It is not that hard to do once you see how it works.

Do I move the black piece closer to the cable housing to tighten or turn it closer to the end of the cable to tighten? I've found the cables I just wasn't sure which way would make it engage sooner. Threading the black piece that is.

To get more forward out of it you would move it more too the brass cable housing part.the cable going too the drive will push inward for more forward gear. You only need to go a little at a time, and some time if you look at the cable you can see where it use to be befor it was moved by the color of the brass. Try not to put to much tenshion on ether end or it may bind up and shift hard.good luck.

Thanks for the info. I'm having the XZ installed this week then when I get it back I'll try to get the shift right.

If you are having a shop install the drive see if they could fix the shift cable while they are running it out for you. Just an idea.