motor dies when putting it in gear
 

500efi bravo drive. All the sudden it started dying when I put it in gear both forward and reverse. Runs fine other than that. Idle is 800 I believe.

Dies like its ignition (like turning off a switch) or load from the drive pulls the rpm's down until it stalls?

i had that problem earlier this year but it was the carb .... does the 500efi have a shift interrupter on it ?

I guess I didn't pay attention to that. I was trying to go through things in my head that it could be.

More than likely, the IAC is either bad or stuck. You can try pulling it out and cleaning it with some carb cleaner. The get gummed up with oil, belt dust, etc. and it makes them stick, especially when hot. Remove the IAC and clean off the pintle (plunger) and the bore that it sits in. It is mounted in the throttle body right on the front of the engine. The IAC is closed when idling in neutral. When you put it in gear and the load increases, the IAC must flow all of the air to keep the engine running. If it doesn't open, the engine will die.
Eddie

whats an iac?

Idle Air Control

Idle Air Controller. It supplies, basically, all of the additional air that an engine needs when the load increases from putting it in gear. The throttle blades are just cracked open allowing enough air through so that the engine idles in neutral. However, it can't allow enough air when the load increases. That's where the IAC comes in.
Eddie

Thanks Eddie. I kinda thought that might be the problem but wanted to get other options before I tore into it tomorrow

If you just left it in neutral you wouldn`t have this problem

You might also check the wiring & connections to the iac motor to make sure the connections are good. A friend of mine went to a Holley computer on his 500s & they would not idle at all, the computer was giving signals to control the iac but it would not respond. He found out he had to swap 2 wires so it would function. The computer would not throw a code for any of this but they just wouldn't idle, he switched the wires & the engines will now fire right up & idle like champs. The point being there can be more than 1 cause & it would be easier to check when your in there than have to go back again.

They make a special MAF spray cleaner that might work nice in cleaning the IAC

You would be surprised what a new ring terminal can do crimped onto some fresh stripped wire.

I thought I had a bad thunderbolt ignition on the cruiser and instead crimped new connectors on that appeared fine and she has been running better then ever all summer!

Good luck bud

I had the same problem yesterday, except the motor was idol ing at 1500rpm, I would try to get it into gear and it would stall. Through the laptop on and found the TPS was bad.

Sorry fo the thread jack but since you mentioned laptop, I'm currently in the market for some Merc diagnostic software, what are you using and how do you like it? Will it also work on outboards?

Thanks