So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?

I don't know if this will shed any more light on it, but it has a lot of
detail: http://sterndrive.cc/sterndrive-tech...techguides.htm -
the shift article


"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...
So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?

I made my own socket tool for changing that cable. It is just two sockets
welded together.
KH



"SBT" wrote in message
. com...
I don't know if this will shed any more light on it, but it has a lot of
detail: http://sterndrive.cc/sterndrive-tech...techguides.htm -
the shift article


"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...
So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?

SBT wrote:

I don't know if this will shed any more light on it, but it has a lot of
detail: http://sterndrive.cc/sterndrive-tech...techguides.htm -
the shift article


"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...


So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?








Thanks for the link - I hadn't found that one. That's a very good pdf
file for adjusting the cable - pictures and everything.

I did mine myself for the first time a few years ago. you will be fine, and
worst case you will have to pay for it to be fine tuned. Just take your
time.
KH

"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:wAnec.21082$192.1468@lakeread06...
SBT wrote:

I don't know if this will shed any more light on it, but it has a lot of
detail: http://sterndrive.cc/sterndrive-tech...techguides.htm -
the shift article


"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...


So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?








Thanks for the link - I hadn't found that one. That's a very good pdf
file for adjusting the cable - pictures and everything.

"mike hicks" wrote
So, it looks like I'm going to have to
change the shift cable on my Alpha drive.
How much cursing and unhappiness am I facing here?

I just replaced mine in conjunction with bellows and gimbal bearing
replacement. You don't need any rocket science, just a lot of patience with
parts that are awkward to access. The most difficult thing for me was
getting the crimp clamp on the end of the cable bellows squeezed into a
reasonably round shape. (There's probably a special tool for this
somewhere.) The adjustment isn't really complicated, it just takes some
going back and forth to zero in on the correct spot. This is a good outline
of the replacement procedu http://www.mercstuff.com/shiftcable2.htm

Joe Blizzard wrote:

"mike hicks" wrote


So, it looks like I'm going to have to
change the shift cable on my Alpha drive.
How much cursing and unhappiness am I facing here?



I just replaced mine in conjunction with bellows and gimbal bearing
replacement. You don't need any rocket science, just a lot of patience with
parts that are awkward to access. The most difficult thing for me was
getting the crimp clamp on the end of the cable bellows squeezed into a
reasonably round shape. (There's probably a special tool for this
somewhere.) The adjustment isn't really complicated, it just takes some
going back and forth to zero in on the correct spot. This is a good outline
of the replacement procedu http://www.mercstuff.com/shiftcable2.htm




Thanks for the response. I have already been to that site and that
procedure is what convinced me to try the replacement my self but
sometimes what looks straightforward in a manual actually turns out to
be tricky. That's what worries me - I haven't done a shift cable before
and I have a great fear of the unknown.

Sounds unlikely its the cable. More like too much play in the shifter. Bad
cable is usually sticky and results in the engine stalling because of the
shift interrupter.

This is described in the Seloc manual. The crimping tool can be made with a
3/8 inch nut welded to the jaws of a pair of pliers (get the cheapest).
Drill out the threads with a 1/2 in drill and cut the nut in half, viola,
you've got a crimp tool.

Several things to note:

1. Remember to remove the spiral wrap before pulling the sleeve out.
2. Tie a string to the sleeve (very string and small knot) before pulling
it out, the string will help guide the new sleeve from butting against the
flywheel cover and you having to reach down to get it. But if your boat has
good access to the stbd area around bottom of the exhaust horn, you're ok.
3. There's a chance the brass fitting will be seized. I had to drill
mine out. Tricky and threads can be damaged. Get a tap to clean the thread
if you need to drill.
4. Cable adjustments (lower and upper cables) must take into account the
inherent freeplay. Try adjusting again with pulling or pushing the cable
ends in as appropriate. Follow the Merc procedure.

While you are at it, might want to consider changing the shift lever bushing
and seals. If the seal leaks, your new cable is a goner.

Good luck.

Tan PS



"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...
So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?

Thanks. The lower unit shifted nice and smooth and easy when it was
seperated from the upper (rotaing the end of the shaft by hand). The
drive will shift into forward and reverse if I move the drive shift
cable by hand and using the control unit I've gotten it to shift from
forward to neutral to reverse to neutral OK but going back into forward
seems to be a problem. It still may be an adjustment - I haven't done
the whole Mercruiser procedure that someone else here sent me the link
for yet but I've done something pretty close to it and it still has the
problem. Last summer it would stall going from reverse to forward
sometimes (usually coming into the dock of course). By too much play in
the shifter do you mean the control unit at the dash, the mechanism on
the engine or down in the outdrive?
Thanks for the replies everyone.

mike


Tan PS wrote:

Sounds unlikely its the cable. More like too much play in the shifter. Bad
cable is usually sticky and results in the engine stalling because of the
shift interrupter.

This is described in the Seloc manual. The crimping tool can be made with a
3/8 inch nut welded to the jaws of a pair of pliers (get the cheapest).
Drill out the threads with a 1/2 in drill and cut the nut in half, viola,
you've got a crimp tool.

Several things to note:

1. Remember to remove the spiral wrap before pulling the sleeve out.
2. Tie a string to the sleeve (very string and small knot) before pulling
it out, the string will help guide the new sleeve from butting against the
flywheel cover and you having to reach down to get it. But if your boat has
good access to the stbd area around bottom of the exhaust horn, you're ok.
3. There's a chance the brass fitting will be seized. I had to drill
mine out. Tricky and threads can be damaged. Get a tap to clean the thread
if you need to drill.
4. Cable adjustments (lower and upper cables) must take into account the
inherent freeplay. Try adjusting again with pulling or pushing the cable
ends in as appropriate. Follow the Merc procedure.

While you are at it, might want to consider changing the shift lever bushing
and seals. If the seal leaks, your new cable is a goner.

Good luck.

Tan PS



"mike hicks" wrote in message
news:K42ec.9668$192.6820@lakeread06...


So, it looks like I'm going to have to change the shift cable on my
Alpha drive. No amount of adjusting will let it go from forward to
reverse and engage the clutch. I've ordered the cable kit and the
special socket to get the nut and I've read up on the procedure (I have
the Selock manual + online stuff). Anyone have any thoughts on what I
should look out for during this operation? How much cursing and
unhappiness am I facing here?

So I'm knee deep in it now. I'm at the shift cable reassembly stage but
I have to wait for a shift shaft bushing/seal kit because the local
mercruiser dealer is out of stock (typical). There was a lot of
corrosion gunk around the shift arm and shaft so I think the seal was a
bit leaky. It's mostly gone smoothly with only an occasional bad word
spoken. The good news is that the lower unit shifts manually quite
nicely - no binding or stiffness and the prop shaft locks up in the
correct directions. It seems good. My drive shaft splines seem to be in
good shape too and I took the opportunity to lube up the u-joints.

I made the crimp tool for the shift cable boot per the Seloc manual but
I only hot-glued the split nut to my pliers instead of welding and it
worked great! The $20 special socket I bought worked too and seemed to
be necessary. It does seem that outdrive work is meant for people with
MUCH smaller hands than me though.

Does anyone know what the black plastic snap-in insert that came with
the cable kit is for? I haven't seen a similar part on the boat.

Thanks for the inputs everyone. Someday this clinker WILL return to the
water!!