Hard shifting
 

Starboard motor is getting harder and harder to shift.
I know it must be in the cabling and NOT the gearing simply because it does not clunk or grind giong into gear.
Last season it was more in reverse. Had to basically 'bounce' the shift lever to get it to force in. Now it is doing it in either direction. Last time on the trailer was a b!tch.
I have taken the cable off the brackt from the handles back.
But until I can get it in the water to run the motor I cannot try the shifter from the mechanism to the drive.

Question I have is someone told me about a cap you can take off to inspect the shift point on the drive. Without removing the drive.
what and where is this? If it is even possible.

BTW, 1999 Bravo 1 Drive LWP with 1.5 gears

Thanks

Re: Hard shifting
 

Mn,
If you can pull the kill cord and spin the motor over without it starting, you can try shifting it then. It should go into gear with some force. I turn them by hand and can shift them off of the boat. Spin it and push on the lever, if it goes easy.. then cable to sticks is sick.. If not, cable to drive may be rusted or bent. You can drain some fluid and pull the back cover off. The lower compartment under the back cap contains the shift linkage. If you get that far and need help.. give me a call.. Glad to explain what goes on in there..

Dick
616-335-8446.. not too late please, need my beauty sleep..

Re: Hard shifting
 

Mr. G, Thanks for the input
Unfortunatly the way my kill switches are I cannot turn the motor over when pulled. Switches are completly dead.
I know the cable from the sticks to the shifter on the manifold is OK.
It is from there back I am not sure of.
Someone had told me that it could be a ball type lever on top of the shift clutch? in the drive that could be the culprit.
And that is what I want to find out how to look into :)

Re: Hard shifting
 

Hey...

Not sure if you saw it but there is another guy with a Bravo one starboard drive hard shifting too.

Maybe that post could help you too?

Just a thought. Didn't have time to read that whole thread.

Good luck.

Re: Hard shifting
 

Curious also if item #10 or 14 could be the broblem.
Put it looks like I would need to pull the drive to find this out :(

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/image...51.00/1605.png

Re: Hard shifting
 

if it is the latest one in the last couple days he found it to be his coupler

once I get it into gear, everything is just find.
No power loss, slippage or grinding/cluncking going in or out of gear.
Actually, now that I think about it, going into neautral from either gear is easy. No problems at all. Only 'getting' into gear

Re: Hard shifting
 

Mn,
You could pull the 12v from the coil and it would turn over but not fire.. not sure how your's is setup.. but the theory works.. turn it over without firing..

Next I would pull the back cap. There is a cylinder with a ball and spring in it that presses against the linkage to let it snap in and out of gear. They do break and should be well greased. Go to where you got the pick of that transom assy and look at the Universal Joint/Shifter components page.. That gives you the layout. #3 is the pin/spring/ball.. pushes against #15 linkage..

hope that helps. Otherwise, pull the drive, but it is harder to rotate by hand and shift with needle nose pliers. If you do pull the drive, the linkage should be free moving, back and forth..

Good luck.. let us know..

That is exactly what was wrong!!!

Just thought I would bring this back up for reference :)

My shifters are getting a little tight and the cables operate smoothly when disconnected at engine. They aren't bad, but if this is as easy as it seems..... correct me if I got this wrong!

Just pull rear drive cap part #36 and then I can access this pin/spring/ball (not sure which part number it is on the diagram) and replace?

Very easy to do,
hardest thing is finding a 12point socket and most likely, well at least I had too, was grind down the outer thickness of the socket to fit into the are for the bolts.
You will loose some fluid, but not much.
I found the ball to be dry, crusty and stuck!
soaked it at work in some parts cleaner, was able to get it seperated, cleaned it all up and lubed a little and have not had an issue since what ever day I did this :)

Same thing was happening to one of my drives at the end of the 2007 season. When I got it out for the 2008 season, it wouldn't shift at all. It was the linkage and detent inside the back cover of the drive.

OK, this area is filled with gear lube, but yet the parts are crusty/dry..... is it that you access this part from the gear lube area but the part isn't lubed by the gear lube?

Appreciate your insight!

Correct and correct :drink::drink:

In the attatched link the cover is #1, the upper side of this holds the lube for the gears. Bottom side is high and dry
Item #3 is the problem that I have had in the past and is what i was able to clean up and reuse.
Part was not expensive, just at the time my local shop had to order it and i was not waiting the 10 days for it :)

http://www.marinepartsexpress.com/merc_sch_fs.html

I just took mine off it has always been hard shifting, the little ball and spring is really stiff it is soaking in cleaner right now should I take the ball out of the spring housing or clean it up as is?

If I remeber correctly it does not come out.
Thought the end was 'domed' over it to house the ball and spring :)

The cost was not very much, less then $20 I think

I have it cleaned and put back together. It was really stiff when I first got to it the grease was hard and the ball and spring were stiff I would say almost stuck. It seems to work good now. At least I am able to move my shifter on the drive now with a pair of pliers I wasn't before.

Mn,
nice to hear that was the problem, and you fixed it back then. The springs are pretty strong, but if the assembly is dry, it will be difficult to shift..

Dick

I can't wait to try it out but I have to wait a few months.

Power of OSO!!!
Helping one another out with things!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!:drink:

Merry Christmas to you Mn.. :drink: And everyone on OSO!

Merry Christmas to you to and thanks to everyone in this thread, I kicking around about a new upper if the new cable didn't fix it. It was hard enough that my daughter couldn't put it in gear