I worked on adjusting both cables and got it to where it will go into
forward all the time and reverse half of the time. I also installed a
switch to turn off the kill switch. So now when reverse fails me I flip the
switch and shift form idle right into reverse :-)

--Cam

Cam,

Your doing all these things and you haven't replaced the drive shift
cable? I don't mean to sound rude, and I may be wrong, but I think your
wasting tremendous ammounts of time with your jury rigging, and just
setting yourself up for some big mechanical problems down the road. In
addition when you do replace the drive shift cable, everything else is now
out of adjustment.

I've had the same problem, and the general consensus from a certified
mercruiser mechanic, and a few web boards, is this drive shift cable was
the main cause of most Alpha shifting problems.

When an alpha has problems shifting, the first thing to check is the
distance between the barrel and the end of the shift shaft. I think it
should be 6", but check the manual to be sure. It should ALWAYS be this.
Period.

Next remove the drive shift cable from the shift plate and see if you can
manually push and pull the assembly to see if you can *EASILY* lock
between forward and reverse gears. If you can't do this, don't dick
around with anything else, replace the &#@!ing cable!

The cable is less then $70.00 for a new one and not that hard to install.
I think most yards will charge another $150 labor, pennies as far as boat
work goes.

Or stany on the course and make do with these jury rig repairs unto your
bad shift cable really craps out and leaves you at the mercy of wherever
you are and need a repair, or worse a failure which causes damage to your
drivetrain, or someone elses boat because you can't maneuver.

Whether you decide to replace this cable or not. Good luck on the boat.

Sincerely,

Bob Dimond


In article , "Ree-Yees"
wrote:

I worked on adjusting both cables and got it to where it will go into
forward all the time and reverse half of the time. I also installed a
switch to turn off the kill switch. So now when reverse fails me I flip the
switch and shift form idle right into reverse :-)

--Cam