Bravo One XR stuck in forward - Help!
 

Hello guys, I hope someone can help me with my problem I got yesterday.

I was driving with the drive in forward, changed to neutral and reved the engine a little bit for some old men that wanted to hear the engine at the seaside lol, and after that I changed back to forward. But in the exact moment I changed back to forward the engine reved up (I have some problem with my 496, its living its own life sometimes and goes up to like 1200 rpm without doing anything..)
I noticed nothing untill I should change to neutral later and it was stuck in forward... couldnt get it to neutral or reverse.
No bad sounds from the drive..

What could have hapend?
I have removed the back cap on the drive now and tried to move it to neutral. But its stuck in forward.
Do I have to remove something to make it loose and get it back to neutral?

Thanks!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7003f8044.jpeg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...791f9c982.jpeg

Cone clutch is stuck in the gear. Gently pry up on the shift mechanism that you have exposed with the cap removed and it will probably pop apart. Might have damaged the clutch though

The lesson here, is dont show off.......lol...........the engine was probably above 750 rpms when you put it in drive

When you say gently pry up on the shift mechanism, is it this one you mean? Should I try to push it upwards like the direction of the red arrow on the picture?


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e95098e3d.jpeg


thanks

the piece that is sandwiched in the middle, the fork that actually goes into the cone clutch is what needs to come up. So, basically, yes

Bravo's don't like to shift without the drive shaft moving. If need be bump the starter using the slave relay just a touch while pushing up, and even have another pulling back on the throttle

The gear area looks dry, was it full of lube?

I have learned a lesson... lol :lolhit:
yes it was above 750 rpms

Okey, so if I try to push the whole ”sandwich” part up it should go to neutral?
Do I have to do something else before I do this?

Yes I have read that, Im going to test to push it up first.

The drive had oil in it, I drained it out before so it just looks dry I think

While you've got it apart, verify if it is an X or XR by looking at the gears.

X gears https://www.mercruiserparts.com/887903a1-gear-set

XR gears https://www.mercruiserparts.com/840898a3-gear-set-19-16

From what I can see, these look like helical ( not XR)

The only way I’ve been able to get them apart is pressing the clutch shaft down through the gear, then check then the clutch shaft collar where it contacts the bottom side of the gear for galling, check the contact area of the gear too , if it’s galled up it will stick again

That is what it looks like to me as well. In his other thread in the prop section he was not sure if it was an X or XR.

When I look into where the gears are, they look like the first (X) gears. Helical gears

Yes it looks like helical gears when I look into where the gears are from the back cap.
Like griff said, I dont know exactly if it was a X or XR.

But now Ive been verified it is a X?
The previous owner said it can be an bravo diesel drive too. Bravo One x diesel?

Do I have to take the top cap off to press the clutch shaft down?
From what I see only from the back cap the gears looks fine. But I can take the top cap off to see more

You need to have the drive off and apart, the top gear removed from the gear cluster, have the gear supported at the lowest portion of it, and make sure the splined end of the clutch shaft is clear to move....press down ( in a press, not by hand) on the top of the clutch shaft, it will pop once it breaks free so don’t be alarmed

Okey, I thought it was just to try to press it ”gentle” by hand like someone said here :rolleyes:
Now things got serious:(



If, I say IF I have installed the drive faulty from the beginning. I now that the alpha drive should be installed with the shift in forward and bravo drives with the shift in neutral..?

If I have installed my bravo wrong, with the shift in forward (is it even possible to do it ?). I cant remember how I did it.. just that I did something with the shifter when I installed the drive.
I followed a instruction how to install on the internet. But when I try to find it it says install it with neutral.. But I cant remember how I did it.

Lets say if I in some how installed the drive in forward, can the shifter cable have ”jumped” out from the jaws and somehow blocking it to shift back to neutral or reverse?

This should not be an issue, except having to move it back to neutral to start

Im not sure what you mean.

Do you mean that the shifter cable could not be the problem?

Was commenting on if the drive was installed and shifter was in forward. The cable would stick out further, but after installing the latch and moving drive in, the shifter should move to neutral

Now could the cable come loose from the keeper and be in front, probably not, but anything is possible. Use a flash light and look inside, might be able to tell. My self I would remove the drive and do some more disassembly to figure out what happened

Okey thank you
is it possible to remove the drive if the gear is stuck in forward?

Good point

Disconnect at the pin, then remove drive


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...27f876c8fa.jpg

Thanks:ernaehrung004:

See if I can see any damage there on the shift cable, and if I disconnect at the pin if its possible to push it to neutral.
But probably not..

It looks like this when in forward (like I post before), and I can push it a little bit on the shift cable but not the whole way to neutral.. it feels like something is stopping it to move more. But maybe its in the gears/clutch and not the shift cable...


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...220880508.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ee8870c15.jpeg

I took the drive off now.
No problem with the shift cable linkage or the jaws.
Tried to push the yoke up, but it still stuck.
Tried to take the drive shaft and spinn it with my hands and at the same time push the yoke up, but it still stuck..

Now what..? :angry-smiley-044:
Take every piece out of the drive?

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5050119ec.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...834f60168.jpeg

Remove the socket head screws (item 13) on the shifter yoke and shifter linkage.
Find a screw which will screw down into the top of the shifter shaft (item 7). The screw will be used to pull the shaft out the top of the housing.
https://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/...0990/10270/140

Not sure but the screws that are removed should be able to be used to pull shaft, thats how I pulled mine on a standard Bravo


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6371cbabd9.jpg

You guys are awesome on this forum :champs:

Will try this tomorrow when back in garage and see how it goes! Will I be able to shift it back to neutral after that or is it more steps after?

Thank you again.

I think something happened that's going to cost some more BOAT dollars. For anything else it should have already snapped back to neutral

Yeah, wouldn't be surprised if that's so..
All the gears I can see from now looks good, nothing visual broken

I have now removed the screws and the shaft.
And the shift yoke. It was a little notch on the shift yoke and the shaft.

With the shift yoke removed, I still cant move the clutch to neutral..

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...018954447.jpeg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1ddea1c9d.jpeg

Now unscrew the big pinion nut on the front of the drive. Pull out the drive shaft and pinion gear. Now you can lift the gears and cone clutch out of the housing. Next, put them in a press and pop the clutch out of the bottom gear as JaayTeee explained.

I dont have the tool to unscrew the big pinion nut. Is there a special tool for Mercruiser Bravo drive or can I find some at a tool shop somewhere? Like this

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...56c756f03.jpeg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...624b5c240e.png

The p/n for the wrench is 862219A1, you need it to torque the pinion retainer nut when you put it back
together

a couple of othe things of note, the shift fork goes in with the nuts facing down and the gears have to be timed, there’s + and - on each eccentric ring on the gear, rotate the gears so the marks are at the centerline of the shift shaft bore in the case, match up - and + or visa versa, just don’t align the same 2 marks, then you install the pinion gear back in the case

I wouldn't try to remove with just a pin wrench, the special tool is a joke IMO (bad design) but has several hardened pins which to hold about 3/4 around. Need to find someone that could loan it. I'm see where its going to get way involved and going to need more tools as it progresses

Thank you. Try to find a special tool then. I also heard that it is bad design.

I have one question about the thrust bearing and thrust race on the upper gears.

In the manual that I found it says that the thrust bearing should be at the bottom and the thrust race at the top.

To me it looks like it visa versa on my drive.
The thrust bearing at the top and the thrust race at bottom?? Am I wrong..?:confused:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7ad9985ac6.png
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4de817df6.jpeg

The thrust bearing runs against the gear, the thrust race goes into the top cap ( upper gear) and in the case( bottom gear) yours looks correct

Okey but under the thrust bearing it looks like the thrust race is located... isnt that wrong?

When I took of the top cap, it looks like this.
The thrust bearing is on top, and the thrust race is under the bearing.. what I can see

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b23bb7c2f.jpeg

Agree, the manual shows the race above the bearing. Don't know if there is a newer manual or bulletin

On every ”explode pictures” I find the thrust bearing is below the thrust race.
#20 and #22

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a971ca999.jpeg

22 is the bearing 20 is the race, the picture above is correct , the order is gear, bearing, then race , the race on the top gear is on top of the bearing, the race for the bottom gear is below the bearing

Exactly, then my drive must have ben installed wrong.
Because the bearing is over the race at the top.
As you can see on this picture.
This is what I saw when I took the top cap off:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ac5e8a19e.jpeg

Take a picture and post it of the underside of the top cap, I’ve had one apart after someone changed the top cap and forgot to put in the thrust race, it destroyed the top and aluminum was everywhere, yours looks too clean for that

Here you have a picture of the top cap, and the picture of the top bearing at the drive again.. :rolleyes:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1985d8249.jpeg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...677056e1e.jpeg

have you pulled the bearing off and have the race in your hand,,sure looks like it was put together wrong.still have to free up the cone clutch.