Thanks! Read the shop manual for the shift cable adjustment a couple of times and it read as extremely complicated. Your video and explanation on the other hand was clear and easy to follow. I brought the laptop onto the boat and did the whole job in about 10 minutes with your help and the drive shifts like a charm.
Chris.. wonderful job as always!, explaining what you are doing and why...so well done compared to others who say, "move this, to there"...never explaining what they are talking about,, you always explain what you are doing and why,, well done!
I adjust my boat by trial and error with boat on the water. This video is outstanding and textbook way to adjust with the boat in the shop. I highly recommend final adjustment be done with boat in the water for optimum results, The service manual for the alpha one drive says the same under the caption "in water tests". Most professional marine shops do not bother with the in water tests.
Thank you ! This was perfect ! Mine was making a noise as when in neutral and would die when put into forward. I got up on the boat and followed along with you and 10 minutes later problem solved !! Great video and explanation!
Thank you so much for this! and the alignment video too. I've been restoring a 2850 bayliner bounty with twin 470's for the last two years and getting to the point of re-installing engines. Finding your video was like finding lost money in the washing machine.
This is the best video I have found for adjusting these cables, only thing I have to add, is if they have factory crimped the brass adjusting screw on the shift cable barely drill right down on the Crip temples. Can you contact the actual cable, spray, a little WD-40, and with a little effort you will be able to adjust the shift cable
Outstanding explanation been pondering this adjustment for longer than I Care to admit. Followed the video and restored function first try. Thanks for the video.
This Bloke Was just Who I needed to get the job done ! Not only that, He's an Aussie - I lived in Many locations, Down-Under, and enjoyed My Stay, VERY much ! :-)
Hi thanks for the easy to follow instruction. My shift plate is a 1973 model however the outdrive was replaced in the mid 80's with a later model outdrive. I really didn't know which measurement to go with so I went with the 5 7/8" center to center shift cable mounting position and got it right. I assume the shift plate age would therefore be the determining factor. Anyways, was able to make the proper gear engagement adjustment on land. However once I went for a test cruise, I had to adjust the rear anchor pen negatively because I was slipping out of forward drive under a load. Once I moved the rear anchor pin back about and 1/8", it worked perfectly. Great video.
Great video, I just bought a 1989 Baja 190 sport and only had 300 hours on it. The boat is mint but the only issue was it not shifting all the way into gear. This will help so much and makes me at ease just to know its an adjustment issue.
I figured as much. I'm not quit sure what it would be though. I suppose I can try and check the play clearances as you mentioned in your video or just do another adjustment? Thatnks again for all the info and the quick responses, it's very much appreciated!!
Thanks for the video Chris. Very helpful. You don't mention the spring loaded shift assist mechanism. Is it necessary to have it installed? It seems to place a lot of pressure on the assembly.
@@chrisa660 Im knew to Inboard out boards , and a poor fellow, so when someone shares info to help others it's a blessing so again thanks so very much ...God bless.
Very helpful BUT 2 things to clarify: 1)The throttle needs to be in wide open forward in the beginning and wide open reverse at the end? 2) when he adjusts the barrel, he says one direction and goes the other. Do as he does, not as he says? Edit: What worked for me was, throttle wide open forward and reverse and at the end, the barrel gets adjusted away from the cable end. It worked for me anyway.
Thanks for a great video, really informative and it help me gather the courage to go at adjusting the shift cable on my Merc 5.0 220hp -05 with Alpha 1 gen 2 stern drive. I was having issues getting the boat into gear, bort forward and reverse which is why I wanted to try adjusting the cable. Whenever I put the remote forward or back to put it into gear (which is an original Morse remote in my CC Lancer 19' by the way), I was hearing a loud clicking/knocking noise and then the boat would slam into gear. Not very smooth and it made it hard to operate in tight spaces etc. Said and done, I adjusted the lower shift cable like you describe in the video (6" etc.) But I forgot to adjust the upper remote cable. I'm now having the following issues and I don't know if they might be solved by adjusting the upper remote cable or if I'm having some other issues: Reverse goes smoother into gear but I'm still hearing the knocking/clicking sound before the gear kicks in. Reverse also requires less movement in the remote shifter than before the adjustment Forward now requires far more movement in the remote shifter and I'm having the same kind of loud clicking/knocking sound before it slams into gear. Do you think there could be any issues using my Morse controller or should I adjust the remote cable in the way you advise anyway? I guess my main concern is the knocking/clicking, it feels like the cogs are engaging slightly/slipping before they actually engage and the gear slams into place. Sorry for the long post but could really use your input here! Thanks! Anton
Loved the video. Very well done and super easy to understand. I have one question. When you adjusted the barrel nut you pointed "away from the cable" but screwed toward the cable. Not sure which to do.
Hi Chris. What can I check or adjust if my engine stalls when shifting back into neutral from forward or reverse. It happens more when the engine is hot. The motor has 950 hours on and boat is 96 Regal 5.7 Merc Cruiser
Hi Warrick, The problem you have described has been the same problem that I have experienced on and off over the past two years with my Alpha 1 Stern drive second generation on a 3 L mercruiser inboard. The engine cuts out because the ignition interrupt switch activates, as it should, on the initial gear shift into forward or reverse, but it does not come back to the neutral position before the engine stops. What should happen is the interrupt switch activates momentarily to kill the motor to allow the gear shift without any torque, so it does not grind going into gear, and coming out of gear, it needs the engine killed momentarily to allow it to fall into neutral, otherwise it says in gear. The most common cause for this problem is too much friction in the stern drive cable, so the return to centre spring on the interrupt cam plate does not have the force to move the cable back to the neutral position. The friction can be caused by a worn or damaged or poorly lubricated stern drive cable or binding of the cable through the penetrations into the gearbox. I have had limited success fixing the problem by replacing the stern drive cable and seals, which cured the problem for about 6 months before it returned, intermittently when the motor was hot. On my latest service which included taking the leg off for an oil change and impeller change, I asked the mechanic if he could diagnose and fux the problem. He double checkef if the stern drive cable linkage was at all sticky or there were any problems that could be causing the shift interrupt sticking problem. He reported that there were not, and he fitted a new linkage plate as he reported that this had cured the problem with some of his other clients. He adjusted everything up to specification and I had about 1 hours worth of trouble free gear shifting before the problem returned. The problem now is that every time it shifts into forward the engine will die. Reverse shifting is not a problem. To keep us out on the water, I have had my wife or one of the children hold the interrupt switch cam plate in the neutral position whilst I put the boat into forward. This is far from ideal, but otherwise the boat won't go. I have now added an additional plate onto the gear shift plate to allow me to mount a tension spring that assists the interrupt switch return to neutral on forward selection. I will water test this tomorrow and hopefully it works. If it works, I will post a video on TH-cam about what I did, so others can copy it. The mercruiser Alpha 1 leg gear shift design with the manual shift interrupt switch arrangement that relies on the spring force of the interrupt cam plate to counteract the gearbox and shift cable is not a robust design at all. As soon as any friction builds up in the stern leg to control plate linkage is causes problems. This design problem is the main reason that I am actually going to sell my boat, and probably never buy another boat with a stern drive again. I find it hard to believe that a reputable company like MerCruiser manufacturered such a temperamental design, that could leave a non-technical person stranded at sea. I hope you manage to solve you boat's gear shifting problem.
Sounds like you might have crud and/or salt build-up in the back of the shift slide cavity (in the bell-housing). That's most likely due to a leaking upper shift shaft seal and bushing. You need to remove the drive and check those things out...
The switch should not activate when going from neutral to FORWARD or REVERSE, only when coming OUT of gear, and only when there is load on the propeller, so not on the flushers either.
Chris. Thank you. This is outstanding. What do you mean with your comment "No, you should not have the interrupt switch activate when running on the hose?" I am trying to adjust my cable, as shifting is killing the engine completely, when shifting into forward and into reverse. Thanks again for this effort.
Just installed new heads, and I did not put the boat in forward when I took shift cables off the riser plate. I'm sure the cables were moved and jostled as I did the replacement in the bilge. After the rest of the engine was buttoned back up, I reinstalled and re-set cables to your specs. When testing, prop didn't go into gear. Got under the drive and noticed the dog/shift shoe was pointed at about 11:55 to port side when I did put the control to forward. I was able to push the dog/shift shoe to 12 O'clock with a small rod. The prop locked counter clockwise. I then made the adjustments to your spec. Started engine, put it in forward then N then Reverse a few times, and then tried it again a few times. On the 3rd of 4th try it stopped engaging in forward. Do I need to reset the upper cable more? Or do I drop the lower unit on the outdrive just enough to reset the dog/shift shoe connection to 12:00 O'clock while the control is in forward and then do the cable adjustments. These cable were replaced 2 seasons ago. The engine is 2010 Merc. Vortec 5.7 350 - Thanks for the video. I did use this video last season on my port side engine. It took 2 days of me swearing up a storm before I realized that, that particular outdrive was opposite rotation, and I had to do everything in reverse :) To be clear the engine I am asking about is normal rotation. Thank you.
Great video, it took me ten minutes to complete the adjustment thanks to you!... I now get great gear change in forward and reverse. However, in order to get the prop to go into reverse I had to move the drive shaft anchor to about a 1/4" from the top of the slot. This did not engage the cut-off switch so I figure this is fine but, shouldn't there be a point when it do engage the cut-off switch? If it never engages, what does that mean?
having the same issue in reverse. i didn't try to adjust the drive shaft remote anchor that far up to engage in reverse. i guess i will try that, but did you come up with any best adjustments to solve issues for smooth operation? thanks
Thanks so much for the great video. Having gone through it step by step, I'm still having a problem getting into reverse. After some diagnosis, Im finding that the shifting cable behavior is different in Fwd & Rev. Pushing the shift cable all the way back, the gears engage and the prop stops turning. However, pulling it fwd towards reverse gear, at no point does the gears seem to engage, making the rest of the adjustment mute. Any suggestions?
No. That indicates either a sticky cable (replace it), crud in the shift slide cavity in the drive (remove the drive and clean it out) or the stud is in too high a position (move it down).
Hi Chris Great explanation of adjusting the cables. I’ve got a problem that I can’t seem to correct. Boat goes into forward and neutral fine but when I go towards reverse the interrupt switch activities shuttling off the engine. Using your information My remote cable is an inch shorter than the 3.5” you reference. Any suggestions as to what I should be doing to fix this This is a 30 year old boat with 350 total hours on it
I've followed the video, my measurements were the same as yours. So I followed your instructions exactly. On the water if I shift fast and accel (to pull a wakeboarder out) I will get a clunk into gear and then a second later another clunk. If I shift quickly but keep near idle I do not get the second clunk. Can the black throttle adjustment thing be adjusted further then 4 turns? My reverse shift slams into gear hard and shakes the whole boat. Suggestion? THANK YOU!!
Thanks again for the info!! Well, I spent a few hours today trying to adjust the shift cable. The adjustment now is the best I've had so far. After the four turns you make with the brass barrel, and then hook everything back up. The manual says to move the remote to the opposite (if your in forward, move into reverse) then move the prop clockwise and check the cut-out switch, which should still be centered. Mine is just off center. Will that cause me problems? Thanks
Thanks, great video !!! When I set the cable to 6" and set it back on shift plate and finish maikng my adjustments, I decided to measure it again while it is on the shift plate and i got in between 6 1/4 - 6 1/2 !! Is that normal ?
Hallo, are the measurements ( 6 inch etc) also for a shift cable with a 3.0L Alpha One Gen 2 of 1996? My shift adjustment is horizontal en not vertical like yours. What if the cable is longer? Thank you very much .. cheers Bart
Hi Chrisa, Can you tell me what position that throttle needs to be in when you remove the lower shift cable or it if matters. I see you push the shaft in to measure the distance - along with moving the prop and scotching it when it bottoms out counter clockwise -( which puts it in forward) and when you are done measuring your gaps you re-attach the shaft to the leg. My question is when we are hooking everything back up what position is the throttle lever in when reattaching the cable? I assume its in forward position but maybe I am wrong or maybe that does not matter. My boat runs great in neutral and forward but when I engage reverse it wants to bog down. I assume I have the wrong tension set on the reverse and interrupter switch as if I by pass the interrupter switch the boat runs fine in reverse. In case you needed to know this is a 1987 Alpha One Gen Two 4.3LX thunderbolt. Hopefully you can understand what I am saying and I certainly appreciate you doing this for all of us as we don't have very many reputable boat mechanics in my area and the ones we do your looking at 3 months out.
Once you have the 6" measurement for the lower shaft cable, with the throttle lever still in forward, you put the lower shift cable in, and with it still in forward, you adjust the remote cable so it's in the correct position, then back off the barrel on the remote cable 4 turns. All while the throttle lever is in forward. If shifting into reverse is tripping the switch, you have dirt in the shift slide cavity in the bell-housing, or inside the slide itself, or the anchor stud on the shift plate lever in too high. If all those are correct, replace the cable.
Good afternoon. I was hoping you could help as well. 1986 mercruiser alpha one. Boat shifts into reverse and prop spins fine. Shift into forward. Prop locks like normal but doesn’t spin with throttle pushed forward. We do here something clinking around but we are thrown off since reverse works fine
Watched this 100x... GREAT VIDEO. Would there be a slim chance that I'm one tooth off my outdrive shift shaft alignment?.. I can't get this fkr to grab reverse to save my life. EVEN AJUSTING SLOT ALL THE WAY!!! PLEASE HELP!
when you spin the barrel four turns "away from the cable" you said. Is this increasing the distance between the two pins or decreasing the short distance? I want to make sure I'm doing this right, thanks.
Going to try this tomorrow. Mine it’s very difficult to get into neutral. Have to rock forward reverse to get neutral will shift cable adjustment do this?
Clunk is normal. Stand behind the boat, looking at the prop. If turning the prop clockwise is forward, that's a RH prop. If turning the prop CCW is forward, that's a left hand prop.
Concerning the "final adjustment"... you say to "adjust barrel 4 turns away from the cable", and indicate with a sweep of your hand that it should move towards the end of the cable, YET it was rotated so that it would go onto the cable further.... can you clarify what direction it needs to move in the final adjustment?.... thanks
The 'sweep of the hand' is to indicate that he barrel is to be turn away from the end (that the hand is 'sweeping' to)... Voice over also says 'turn the barrel away for the end of the cable'... Hope that's clear enough for you.
@@chrisa660 1982 Sea Ray seville ex--3.0 , now converted to Iveco 2.5 Td intercooled,180 hp; Remote throw 3 1/8th, lower cable at 3 inches; Why those 4 turns,? if i do those 4 turns, the throw becomes longer, and then REVERSE becomes a bit forceful, ant it will engage the microswitch and stay engaged; on the trailer; If i do not do the 4 turns,then it stays centered,FW and Rev., prop locks ,Fw and Rev, and it is free on neutral. why the 4 turns?
I have an 87 alpha one 8v and I'm having trouble getting it into forward. I have to be trailer trim and trim all the way down. If it doesn't work and I have to put it in neutral and try to put it back in drive and then trailer trim and trim all the way down again. It acts like I'm moving it from the top but I have never moved the lower unit from the first attempt to put into forward.
Thanks for the video, very informative. I have a 1997 Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive and a 4.3 Mercruiser (thunderbolt 4 ignition). When I shift from neutral to forward or neutral to reverse I get a bit of grinding coming from the drive, moving out of gear into neutral is fine. Can this be rectified by the adjustment of either of the cables? I am a competent mechanic, just have no experience of adjusting the drives. Any advice/help would be appreciated.
Jeff did you ever figured it out. i have similar boat. locks find in fwd but prop doesn't lock in reversed have that same noise in reverse, haven't tried to with a load, being in water, i have a new cable, but not a new remote shift cable. Jenny said she had to move the shift anchor pin almost all the way up for prop to engage in reverse. What did you come up with?
When I shift to forward, I can't get back into neutral and the kill switch is engaging killing the engine, this only happens in forward not reverse. Is this resulting from a bad cable or kill switch? TIA. Great video.
Also, I do get a clunk when shifting to forward and reverse. Which is probably not normal right? One more thing...how does somebody determine whether you have a right hand rotation drive or left hand? Thanks agian!!
Thanks for the video. I had my cable replaced by someone and it hits the cutoff switch when going from neutral to reverse but not when going fro neutral to forward. No motor shutoff or hesitation from the seitch. My question is, "is the motor supposed to hesitate when going from neutral into forward? Mine doesn't . What do I need to do? Thanks, Brad
I'm having a problem finding nuetral with the shift lever. you have to jerk from forward to reverse and feather it in the nuetral position to get it to actually go in nuetral. will this help or do you think I may have another problem. note this throttle quadrant is the second one and the same problem arises.
You seem like your very knowledgable on the alpha one. I just replaced my lower shift cable and have made the adjustments. Although I don't understand the kill switch. I am not seeing it engage or move when I put it into gear, engine off. Before the change out the switch would stay engaged and kill the engine. What part of putting it into gear makes the kill switch momentarily engage? Thanks
Hey John, I’ve read that the kill switch is not activated when shifting into forward or reverse. The only time the kill switch is activated is when you are shifting into neutral. It temporarily slows the engine enough so the dog clutch can disengage.
After an engine replacement I’ve had a lot of issue with this interrupter switch. I’ve tried making some adjustments it seemed better. Some days it won’t ever die and some days it dies going into reverse. Now it’s dying going from forward to neutral a lot. Lower cable has been replaced and if I recall I had my 6” on lower cable right. Boats a 96 which way should I adjust the barrel when dying from forward to neutral ?
I take it you're doing this adjustment with the boat on the trailer and the engine running on flushers. If that is the case, the switch interrupt (cut-out) switch should never activate. The system needs load on the prop to work. For an explanation of how the system works go to a forum called iBoats, then navigate to the Mercruiser repairs section. At the top of the list is a post called "Adults only". Click that and look at item #9... (I'm poster 'achris' BTW:-))
chrisa660 my boat is in the yard I was doing some cleaning and it’s off and on stands I put it into reverse. Now it won’t go back into neutral. Tried manually turning over motor a little and spinning the prop jerking it both ways while trying to put in neutral to no avail. Any ideas?
Replacing the upper cable won't change anything. You need to find out why the lower cable is getting tight when shifting to reverse. I would pull the drive and check the slide cavity in the bell-housing for dirty and crud.... Also make sure the slide is free to rotate on the end of the cable. (common mistake people make when replacing the lower shift cable is to tighten the grub-screw and stop the slide rotating. It should be loose, but without any longitudinal movement (hope that makes sense))
Hey chris what can I do if I follow your steps but cant adjust the cable past 5 inches....I have 2004 Monterey 3.0l with gen 2 alpha and it dosnt look like ike I can physically adjust mine past 5inches please help
Chris I have my out drive off to check alignment and if feels like there is a lot of play in the end of the cable at the drive end... I am referring to where the cable meets the metal part that engages the shifter that you see after you have the drive off... I have not measured it yet but is that normal to have some play here? thanks for your help and great video.
Chris if you are talking about the metal end called the shift cable slide at the drive end of the engine to drive shift cable see the image in the link below. The shift cable slide should rotate that is normal but there should not be any back and forth slop between the cable end and the shift cable slide. Also the video does contain an error related to the adjusting trunnion on the engine to drive shift cable. The trunnions are only pinned when the cable is brand new from MerCruiser. That way the cable has the correct setting on the assembly line. All replacement cables whether from MerCruiser or aftermarket have a no pinned adjusting trunnion. cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0748/6631/products/IMG_7782_505725b6-8ace-4fa2-9598-1fb6b611fa41_1024x1024.JPG?v=1470288328
My engine stalls as soon as shifted to reverse. I have made no adjustments yet, and it used to work just fine. No reverse at all, instant kill when engaged. Can I fix it by using this adjustment technique?
Is this for an Alpha One gen 1 or an Alpha 1 gen 2? Is this for a single shift lever or a Dual Shift/throttle lever? This is without the Shift Assist Assembly correct? I am new to the boating scene and I believe I may have a shift cable issue. I have an Alpha 1 Gen 1 with 1 4cyl 3.0 engine. Thanks
@@tiotheberk May have a problem inside the remote, or the cable may be attached to the wrong anchor point. IIRC some of Merc's remotes had two anchor points. One for Mercs, the other for 'other'. Worth just pulling the remote off the mounting and checking.
Great video. I have a problem where the shifter, when pushed into Forward, will accelerate the boat as I throttle up, but at top of throttle, engine nearly dies, will run just at idle and push the boat forward ever so slowly. When this happened, I was good distance from land....but could continuously keep "throttling up" and get fuel to/ full power from the engine. I'm not sure what to make of this....I had thought clogged fuel line....but, the fact that I can push throttle forward and get good response has me puzzled. Maybe, I need to look at lower shift cable? Any ideas appreciated....
Hey....I did the long haul....pumped all the gas out of the tank....about 18 gallons. Noted that gas was a bit of color brown.... I put new gas in (about 3 gallons non-ethanol) and engine started / took a few minutes to run clean..... I was successful at this point to get engine back to normal run status.....I will test this weekend, or next, and report back....
I just got a 1994 bayliner ciera 2655. Goes into forward beautifully. However when going into reverse i get a grinding noise then it will go into reverse. Just a reverse cable adjustment? And does this video reference that adjustment on the end?
I’ve come to this video multiple times over the years as needed and when my memory fails me. So thank you for making it and leaving it up
11 year old video and still the best one out there. Nice job and thanks much!
Great detailed explanation. After changing the shift cable bellows my boat was stalling in reverse. I came here and now it’s perfect.
Thanks! Read the shop manual for the shift cable adjustment a couple of times and it read as extremely complicated. Your video and explanation on the other hand was clear and easy to follow. I brought the laptop onto the boat and did the whole job in about 10 minutes with your help and the drive shifts like a charm.
This video helped me solve my shifting problems! Thanks a million- Im going to be on the lake this weekend!!’n
Excellent description thank you. After 15 years my 1982 260 shifts great.
Chris.. wonderful job as always!, explaining what you are doing and why...so well done compared to others who say, "move this, to there"...never explaining what they are talking about,, you always explain what you are doing and why,, well done!
I adjust my boat by trial and error with boat on the water. This video is outstanding and textbook way to adjust with the boat in the shop. I highly recommend final adjustment be done with boat in the water for optimum results, The service manual for the alpha one drive says the same under the caption "in water tests". Most professional marine shops do not bother with the in water tests.
Thank you ! This was perfect ! Mine was making a noise as when in neutral and would die when put into forward. I got up on the boat and followed along with you and 10 minutes later problem solved !! Great video and explanation!
Thank you so much for this! and the alignment video too. I've been restoring a 2850 bayliner bounty with twin 470's for the last two years and getting to the point of re-installing engines. Finding your video was like finding lost money in the washing machine.
I have read the factory service bulletin on this,and I can tell everyone you are very knowledgeable and very helpful; thank you
You know I took a new boat out I bought from some people that didn't tell me it was a piece of junk and you've helped me a lot with this so thank you
Followed your process and got my boat shifting smoothly again. Thank you!
This is the best video I have found for adjusting these cables, only thing I have to add, is if they have factory crimped the brass adjusting screw on the shift cable barely drill right down on the Crip temples. Can you contact the actual cable, spray, a little WD-40, and with a little effort you will be able to adjust the shift cable
Outstanding explanation been pondering this adjustment for longer than I Care to admit. Followed the video and restored function first try. Thanks for the video.
This Bloke Was just Who I needed to get the job done ! Not only that, He's an Aussie - I lived in Many locations, Down-Under, and enjoyed My Stay, VERY much ! :-)
Great video clear concise and straight to the point.
Your instructions were spot on. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!
Hi thanks for the easy to follow instruction. My shift plate is a 1973 model however the outdrive was replaced in the mid 80's with a later model outdrive. I really didn't know which measurement to go with so I went with the 5 7/8" center to center shift cable mounting position and got it right. I assume the shift plate age would therefore be the determining factor. Anyways, was able to make the proper gear engagement adjustment on land. However once I went for a test cruise, I had to adjust the rear anchor pen negatively because I was slipping out of forward drive under a load. Once I moved the rear anchor pin back about and 1/8", it worked perfectly. Great video.
Best video! This is exactly what we needed.
On remote cable if I have more that 3 1/8 inch is the cable bad? And need replacing or can I adjust it out? I have 3 1/4 inch
@@patricktucker9950 How does it shift with the extra 1/8 inch of play? If it seems to work okay, I'd leave it.
All these videos are very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to do these.
Mate watched the others and this is the one that worked for us
Thankyou🎉
Great video and instructions! Thank you for creating and publishing!
Great video, I just bought a 1989 Baja 190 sport and only had 300 hours on it. The boat is mint but the only issue was it not shifting all the way into gear. This will help so much and makes me at ease just to know its an adjustment issue.
adjusted 1974 shift cable to your 5 7/8, works perfect now. Thank you
Did you have to put it in neutral in the beginning or full reverse?
Very informative! Thank you for taking the time to make this video!
Great video, very helpful and more detailed then my Merc shop manuals. Thanks
Why didnt i see this video 12 years ago!
Thank you from all of us in 2024!
I figured as much. I'm not quit sure what it would be though. I suppose I can try and check the play clearances as you mentioned in your video or just do another adjustment? Thatnks again for all the info and the quick responses, it's very much appreciated!!
Thanks for the video Chris. Very helpful. You don't mention the spring loaded shift assist mechanism. Is it necessary to have it installed? It seems to place a lot of pressure on the assembly.
Excellent crystal clear explanation!
Thank you for your quick response! The control box looked original from a 2004 Maxum 1800mx. Thank you in advance.
I really appreciate these specs..
My sea ray has an MR1 outdrive and the neutral cutoff switch has been a real problem ..
are the cables worn? how old are they.
@@libertyfinder4889 pretty old
Thanks for the vid. Fixed all my problems.
Thank you so much, for sharing this very helpful information. Cheers.
Glad it was helpful!
@@chrisa660 Im knew to Inboard out boards , and a poor fellow, so when someone shares info to help others it's a blessing so again thanks so very much ...God bless.
Very helpful BUT 2 things to clarify: 1)The throttle needs to be in wide open forward in the beginning and wide open reverse at the end? 2) when he adjusts the barrel, he says one direction and goes the other. Do as he does, not as he says?
Edit: What worked for me was, throttle wide open forward and reverse and at the end, the barrel gets adjusted away from the cable end. It worked for me anyway.
Thanks for a great video, really informative and it help me gather the courage to go at adjusting the shift cable on my Merc 5.0 220hp -05 with Alpha 1 gen 2 stern drive. I was having issues getting the boat into gear, bort forward and reverse which is why I wanted to try adjusting the cable. Whenever I put the remote forward or back to put it into gear (which is an original Morse remote in my CC Lancer 19' by the way), I was hearing a loud clicking/knocking noise and then the boat would slam into gear. Not very smooth and it made it hard to operate in tight spaces etc.
Said and done, I adjusted the lower shift cable like you describe in the video (6" etc.) But I forgot to adjust the upper remote cable. I'm now having the following issues and I don't know if they might be solved by adjusting the upper remote cable or if I'm having some other issues:
Reverse goes smoother into gear but I'm still hearing the knocking/clicking sound before the gear kicks in. Reverse also requires less movement in the remote shifter than before the adjustment
Forward now requires far more movement in the remote shifter and I'm having the same kind of loud clicking/knocking sound before it slams into gear.
Do you think there could be any issues using my Morse controller or should I adjust the remote cable in the way you advise anyway?
I guess my main concern is the knocking/clicking, it feels like the cogs are engaging slightly/slipping before they actually engage and the gear slams into place.
Sorry for the long post but could really use your input here!
Thanks!
Anton
I know this is old but did you resolve it? How?
Loved the video. Very well done and super easy to understand. I have one question. When you adjusted the barrel nut you pointed "away from the cable" but screwed toward the cable. Not sure which to do.
yep, boat is running like it probably never did before
Thanks! Your video was very helpful.
Great instructional video. Problem solved. Thx!
Hi Chris. What can I check or adjust if my engine stalls when shifting back into neutral from forward or reverse. It happens more when the engine is hot. The motor has 950 hours on and boat is 96 Regal 5.7 Merc Cruiser
Hi Warrick,
The problem you have described has been the same problem that I have experienced on and off over the past two years with my Alpha 1 Stern drive second generation on a 3 L mercruiser inboard. The engine cuts out because the ignition interrupt switch activates, as it should, on the initial gear shift into forward or reverse, but it does not come back to the neutral position before the engine stops. What should happen is the interrupt switch activates momentarily to kill the motor to allow the gear shift without any torque, so it does not grind going into gear, and coming out of gear, it needs the engine killed momentarily to allow it to fall into neutral, otherwise it says in gear.
The most common cause for this problem is too much friction in the stern drive cable, so the return to centre spring on the interrupt cam plate does not have the force to move the cable back to the neutral position. The friction can be caused by a worn or damaged or poorly lubricated stern drive cable or binding of the cable through the penetrations into the gearbox. I have had limited success fixing the problem by replacing the stern drive cable and seals, which cured the problem for about 6 months before it returned, intermittently when the motor was hot.
On my latest service which included taking the leg off for an oil change and impeller change, I asked the mechanic if he could diagnose and fux the problem. He double checkef if the stern drive cable linkage was at all sticky or there were any problems that could be causing the shift interrupt sticking problem. He reported that there were not, and he fitted a new linkage plate as he reported that this had cured the problem with some of his other clients. He adjusted everything up to specification and I had about 1 hours worth of trouble free gear shifting before the problem returned.
The problem now is that every time it shifts into forward the engine will die. Reverse shifting is not a problem. To keep us out on the water, I have had my wife or one of the children hold the interrupt switch cam plate in the neutral position whilst I put the boat into forward. This is far from ideal, but otherwise the boat won't go.
I have now added an additional plate onto the gear shift plate to allow me to mount a tension spring that assists the interrupt switch return to neutral on forward selection. I will water test this tomorrow and hopefully it works. If it works, I will post a video on TH-cam about what I did, so others can copy it.
The mercruiser Alpha 1 leg gear shift design with the manual shift interrupt switch arrangement that relies on the spring force of the interrupt cam plate to counteract the gearbox and shift cable is not a robust design at all. As soon as any friction builds up in the stern leg to control plate linkage is causes problems. This design problem is the main reason that I am actually going to sell my boat, and probably never buy another boat with a stern drive again.
I find it hard to believe that a reputable company like MerCruiser manufacturered such a temperamental design, that could leave a non-technical person stranded at sea.
I hope you manage to solve you boat's gear shifting problem.
Great Video, Thank You! ❤🎉
Sounds like you might have crud and/or salt build-up in the back of the shift slide cavity (in the bell-housing). That's most likely due to a leaking upper shift shaft seal and bushing. You need to remove the drive and check those things out...
The switch should not activate when going from neutral to FORWARD or REVERSE, only when coming OUT of gear, and only when there is load on the propeller, so not on the flushers either.
Chris. Thank you. This is outstanding. What do you mean with your comment "No, you should not have the interrupt switch activate when running on the hose?" I am trying to adjust my cable, as shifting is killing the engine completely, when shifting into forward and into reverse. Thanks again for this effort.
If the switch trips when there is no load on the propeller, then the lower shift cable is the reason...
Thank you worked like a charm
You're a lifesaver. Thanks.
Clunk is normal...good news!! And of course it would be as simple as that to find out the rotation. Nice!
Just installed new heads, and I did not put the boat in forward when I took shift cables off the riser plate. I'm sure the cables were moved and jostled as I did the replacement in the bilge. After the rest of the engine was buttoned back up, I reinstalled and re-set cables to your specs. When testing, prop didn't go into gear. Got under the drive and noticed the dog/shift shoe was pointed at about 11:55 to port side when I did put the control to forward. I was able to push the dog/shift shoe to 12 O'clock with a small rod. The prop locked counter clockwise. I then made the adjustments to your spec. Started engine, put it in forward then N then Reverse a few times, and then tried it again a few times. On the 3rd of 4th try it stopped engaging in forward. Do I need to reset the upper cable more? Or do I drop the lower unit on the outdrive just enough to reset the dog/shift shoe connection to 12:00 O'clock while the control is in forward and then do the cable adjustments. These cable were replaced 2 seasons ago. The engine is 2010 Merc. Vortec 5.7 350 - Thanks for the video. I did use this video last season on my port side engine. It took 2 days of me swearing up a storm before I realized that, that particular outdrive was opposite rotation, and I had to do everything in reverse :) To be clear the engine I am asking about is normal rotation. Thank you.
Awesome video
Thanks!!!
Best video man thank you
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for your video!
Great video, it took me ten minutes to complete the adjustment thanks to you!... I now get great gear change in forward and reverse. However, in order to get the prop to go into reverse I had to move the drive shaft anchor to about a 1/4" from the top of the slot. This did not engage the cut-off switch so I figure this is fine but, shouldn't there be a point when it do engage the cut-off switch? If it never engages, what does that mean?
having the same issue in reverse. i didn't try to adjust the drive shaft remote anchor that far up to engage in reverse. i guess i will try that, but did you come up with any best adjustments to solve issues for smooth operation? thanks
Thanks so much for the great video. Having gone through it step by step, I'm still having a problem getting into reverse. After some diagnosis, Im finding that the shifting cable behavior is different in Fwd & Rev. Pushing the shift cable all the way back, the gears engage and the prop stops turning. However, pulling it fwd towards reverse gear, at no point does the gears seem to engage, making the rest of the adjustment mute. Any suggestions?
My pleasure...
No. That indicates either a sticky cable (replace it), crud in the shift slide cavity in the drive (remove the drive and clean it out) or the stud is in too high a position (move it down).
Hi Chris
Great explanation of adjusting the cables. I’ve got a problem that I can’t seem to correct. Boat goes into forward and neutral fine but when I go towards reverse the interrupt switch activities shuttling off the engine. Using your information My remote cable is an inch shorter than the 3.5” you reference. Any suggestions as to what I should be doing to fix this
This is a 30 year old boat with 350 total hours on it
Hi, where you able to fix it? I'm having the same issue...
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH !!!
Perfect!!! Thank you
Got me right. Thanks.
I've followed the video, my measurements were the same as yours. So I followed your instructions exactly. On the water if I shift fast and accel (to pull a wakeboarder out) I will get a clunk into gear and then a second later another clunk. If I shift quickly but keep near idle I do not get the second clunk. Can the black throttle adjustment thing be adjusted further then 4 turns? My reverse shift slams into gear hard and shakes the whole boat. Suggestion? THANK YOU!!
Check your idle speed too. If too high you can get that hard ckunk
Thanks again for the info!! Well, I spent a few hours today trying to adjust the shift cable. The adjustment now is the best I've had so far. After the four turns you make with the brass barrel, and then hook everything back up. The manual says to move the remote to the opposite (if your in forward, move into reverse) then move the prop clockwise and check the cut-out switch, which should still be centered. Mine is just off center. Will that cause me problems? Thanks
Set to netural did 6in.then put in forward for top linkage to where it fit rite on.i had forward no rev.
Thanks, great video !!! When I set the cable to 6" and set it back on shift plate and finish maikng my adjustments, I decided to measure it again while it is on the shift plate and i got in between 6 1/4 - 6 1/2 !! Is that normal ?
Hallo, are the measurements ( 6 inch etc) also for a shift cable with a 3.0L Alpha One Gen 2 of 1996? My shift adjustment is horizontal en not vertical like yours. What if the cable is longer? Thank you very much .. cheers Bart
i have the same thing you have, all the same . horizontal or vertical.
Thank you sir for sharing this.
Hi Chrisa,
Can you tell me what position that throttle needs to be in when you remove the lower shift cable or it if matters. I see you push the shaft in to measure the distance - along with moving the prop and scotching it when it bottoms out counter clockwise -( which puts it in forward) and when you are done measuring your gaps you re-attach the shaft to the leg. My question is when we are hooking everything back up what position is the throttle lever in when reattaching the cable? I assume its in forward position but maybe I am wrong or maybe that does not matter. My boat runs great in neutral and forward but when I engage reverse it wants to bog down. I assume I have the wrong tension set on the reverse and interrupter switch as if I by pass the interrupter switch the boat runs fine in reverse. In case you needed to know this is a 1987 Alpha One Gen Two 4.3LX thunderbolt. Hopefully you can understand what I am saying and I certainly appreciate you doing this for all of us as we don't have very many reputable boat mechanics in my area and the ones we do your looking at 3 months out.
Once you have the 6" measurement for the lower shaft cable, with the throttle lever still in forward, you put the lower shift cable in, and with it still in forward, you adjust the remote cable so it's in the correct position, then back off the barrel on the remote cable 4 turns. All while the throttle lever is in forward. If shifting into reverse is tripping the switch, you have dirt in the shift slide cavity in the bell-housing, or inside the slide itself, or the anchor stud on the shift plate lever in too high. If all those are correct, replace the cable.
@@chrisa660 You are the best sir !!!
Good afternoon. I was hoping you could help as well. 1986 mercruiser alpha one. Boat shifts into reverse and prop spins fine. Shift into forward. Prop locks like normal but doesn’t spin with throttle pushed forward. We do here something clinking around but we are thrown off since reverse works fine
hi did you sort out the problem , mine does exactly the same ?
Watched this 100x... GREAT VIDEO.
Would there be a slim chance that I'm one tooth off my outdrive shift shaft alignment?.. I can't get this fkr to grab reverse to save my life. EVEN AJUSTING SLOT ALL THE WAY!!! PLEASE HELP!
Great video! Do you have a one for adjusting the shift cables for a Mercruiser Bravo engine or is it the same?
How are there 75 dislikes, his explanation is spot on.
I was sort of wondering that too. :-) (maybe other youtubers who are losing views to my video???)
when you spin the barrel four turns "away from the cable" you said. Is this increasing the distance between the two pins or decreasing the short distance? I want to make sure I'm doing this right, thanks.
Going to try this tomorrow. Mine it’s very difficult to get into neutral. Have to rock forward reverse to get neutral will shift cable adjustment do this?
Clunk is normal. Stand behind the boat, looking at the prop. If turning the prop clockwise is forward, that's a RH prop. If turning the prop CCW is forward, that's a left hand prop.
Great video!! Thanks. Question. When in forward gear...is it all the forward, full throttle? And the same for reverse?
Concerning the "final adjustment"... you say to "adjust barrel 4 turns away from the cable", and indicate with a sweep of your hand that it should move towards the end of the cable, YET it was rotated so that it would go onto the cable further.... can you clarify what direction it needs to move in the final adjustment?.... thanks
The 'sweep of the hand' is to indicate that he barrel is to be turn away from the end (that the hand is 'sweeping' to)... Voice over also says 'turn the barrel away for the end of the cable'... Hope that's clear enough for you.
@@chrisa660 1982 Sea Ray seville ex--3.0 , now converted to Iveco 2.5 Td intercooled,180 hp;
Remote throw 3 1/8th, lower cable at 3 inches;
Why those 4 turns,? if i do those 4 turns, the throw becomes longer, and then REVERSE becomes a bit forceful, ant it will engage the microswitch and stay engaged; on the trailer;
If i do not do the 4 turns,then it stays centered,FW and Rev., prop locks ,Fw and Rev, and it is free on neutral.
why the 4 turns?
Can you adjust this while the outdrive is up/on trailer? Or do you need to lower it?
I have an 87 alpha one 8v and I'm having trouble getting it into forward. I have to be trailer trim and trim all the way down. If it doesn't work and I have to put it in neutral and try to put it back in drive and then trailer trim and trim all the way down again. It acts like I'm moving it from the top but I have never moved the lower unit from the first attempt to put into forward.
Thanks for the video, very informative. I have a 1997 Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive and a 4.3 Mercruiser (thunderbolt 4 ignition). When I shift from neutral to forward or neutral to reverse I get a bit of grinding coming from the drive, moving out of gear into neutral is fine. Can this be rectified by the adjustment of either of the cables? I am a competent mechanic, just have no experience of adjusting the drives. Any advice/help would be appreciated.
Jeff did you ever figured it out. i have similar boat. locks find in fwd but prop doesn't lock in reversed have that same noise in reverse, haven't tried to with a load, being in water, i have a new cable, but not a new remote shift cable. Jenny said she had to move the shift anchor pin almost all the way up for prop to engage in reverse. What did you come up with?
When I shift to forward, I can't get back into neutral and the kill switch is engaging killing the engine, this only happens in forward not reverse. Is this resulting from a bad cable or kill switch? TIA. Great video.
yes
Thank you,
what's the difference of its in water or not when adjusting?
Also, I do get a clunk when shifting to forward and reverse. Which is probably not normal right? One more thing...how does somebody determine whether you have a right hand rotation drive or left hand? Thanks agian!!
Thanks for the video. I had my cable replaced by someone and it hits the cutoff switch when going from neutral to reverse but not when going fro neutral to forward. No motor shutoff or hesitation from the seitch. My question is, "is the motor supposed to hesitate when going from neutral into forward? Mine doesn't . What do I need to do? Thanks, Brad
Did you say the prop should be turned anti-clockwise?
Yes
I'm having a problem finding nuetral with the shift lever. you have to jerk from forward to reverse and feather it in the nuetral position to get it to actually go in nuetral. will this help or do you think I may have another problem. note this throttle quadrant is the second one and the same problem arises.
BTW, it has a mercury mercruiser 3.0l engine. thanks again.
You seem like your very knowledgable on the alpha one. I just replaced my lower shift cable and have made the adjustments. Although I don't understand the kill switch. I am not seeing it engage or move when I put it into gear, engine off. Before the change out the switch would stay engaged and kill the engine. What part of putting it into gear makes the kill switch momentarily engage? Thanks
Hey John, I’ve read that the kill switch is not activated when shifting into forward or reverse. The only time the kill switch is activated is when you are shifting into neutral. It temporarily slows the engine enough so the dog clutch can disengage.
After an engine replacement I’ve had a lot of issue with this interrupter switch. I’ve tried making some adjustments it seemed better. Some days it won’t ever die and some days it dies going into reverse. Now it’s dying going from forward to neutral a lot. Lower cable has been replaced and if I recall I had my 6” on lower cable right. Boats a 96 which way should I adjust the barrel when dying from forward to neutral ?
Hey, did you happen to find out which way to adjust the barrel when it's dying from forward to neutral?
@@deadparrothead3175 I probably did but don’t recall. Replaced the transum assembly and it’s been perfect. My shift cable was ran wrong
My cable that goes to the control looks different and seems unadjustable. It does not have the nut to spin 4 times. Not sure what to do know
I take it you're doing this adjustment with the boat on the trailer and the engine running on flushers. If that is the case, the switch interrupt (cut-out) switch should never activate. The system needs load on the prop to work. For an explanation of how the system works go to a forum called iBoats, then navigate to the Mercruiser repairs section. At the top of the list is a post called "Adults only". Click that and look at item #9... (I'm poster 'achris' BTW:-))
chrisa660 my boat is in the yard I was doing some cleaning and it’s off and on stands I put it into reverse. Now it won’t go back into neutral. Tried manually turning over motor a little and spinning the prop jerking it both ways while trying to put in neutral to no avail. Any ideas?
@@Buddy8 Sounds like the remote control cable is broke. (the inner core)
So what if the measurement is more than 3 and 1/8? Mine appears to be a little shy of three and a quarter inches?
Replacing the upper cable won't change anything. You need to find out why the lower cable is getting tight when shifting to reverse. I would pull the drive and check the slide cavity in the bell-housing for dirty and crud.... Also make sure the slide is free to rotate on the end of the cable. (common mistake people make when replacing the lower shift cable is to tighten the grub-screw and stop the slide rotating. It should be loose, but without any longitudinal movement (hope that makes sense))
Hey chris what can I do if I follow your steps but cant adjust the cable past 5 inches....I have 2004 Monterey 3.0l with gen 2 alpha and it dosnt look like ike I can physically adjust mine past 5inches please help
Chris
I have my out drive off to check alignment and if feels like there is a lot of play in the end of the cable at the drive end... I am referring to where the cable meets the metal part that engages the shifter that you see after you have the drive off... I have not measured it yet but is that normal to have some play here? thanks for your help and great video.
Chris if you are talking about the metal end called the shift cable slide at the drive end of the engine to drive shift cable see the image in the link below. The shift cable slide should rotate that is normal but there should not be any back and forth slop between the cable end and the shift cable slide. Also the video does contain an error related to the adjusting trunnion on the engine to drive shift cable. The trunnions are only pinned when the cable is brand new from MerCruiser. That way the cable has the correct setting on the assembly line. All replacement cables whether from MerCruiser or aftermarket have a no pinned adjusting trunnion.
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0748/6631/products/IMG_7782_505725b6-8ace-4fa2-9598-1fb6b611fa41_1024x1024.JPG?v=1470288328
When I start taking those cables off, does it need to be in full reverse or in neutral?
Doesn't matter. I usually do it in neutral.
My engine stalls as soon as shifted to reverse. I have made no adjustments yet, and it used to work just fine. No reverse at all, instant kill when engaged.
Can I fix it by using this adjustment technique?
I had same problem and this fixed it for me. You gotta pay attention and do it just right or you'll still have problems..
Is this for an Alpha One gen 1 or an Alpha 1 gen 2?
Is this for a single shift lever or a Dual Shift/throttle lever?
This is without the Shift Assist Assembly correct?
I am new to the boating scene and I believe I may have a shift cable issue. I have an Alpha 1 Gen 1 with 1 4cyl 3.0 engine.
Thanks
What is the remote cable is not moving the 3”? How do you make it move more? Mine only goes 2 3/4” can’t figure out how to get to the 3”’s of travel.
Is it a Merc genuine remote control or an aftermarket (Morse, etc)?
@@Chris-hx3om yeah it’s the genuine one
@@tiotheberk May have a problem inside the remote, or the cable may be attached to the wrong anchor point. IIRC some of Merc's remotes had two anchor points. One for Mercs, the other for 'other'. Worth just pulling the remote off the mounting and checking.
@@Chris-hx3om awesome will do!! Thank u!!
Great video. I have a problem where the shifter, when pushed into Forward, will accelerate the boat as I throttle up, but at top of throttle, engine nearly dies, will run just at idle and push the boat forward ever so slowly. When this happened, I was good distance from land....but could continuously keep "throttling up" and get fuel to/ full power from the engine. I'm not sure what to make of this....I had thought clogged fuel line....but, the fact that I can push throttle forward and get good response has me puzzled. Maybe, I need to look at lower shift cable? Any ideas appreciated....
***** I would check your gas filter, next time your on the water spray some starter fluid in the carb when taking off and see if it helps
Hey....I did the long haul....pumped all the gas out of the tank....about 18 gallons. Noted that gas was a bit of color brown.... I put new gas in (about 3 gallons non-ethanol) and engine started / took a few minutes to run clean..... I was successful at this point to get engine back to normal run status.....I will test this weekend, or next, and report back....
Also, btw, I have the fuel pump....then straight hard tube to carburetor....so, no filter....on this one. I may look into getting one...
@@robertstephenson3245 The fuel filter is in bottom of the fuel pump (or top sometimes).
I just got a 1994 bayliner ciera 2655. Goes into forward beautifully. However when going into reverse i get a grinding noise then it will go into reverse. Just a reverse cable adjustment? And does this video reference that adjustment on the end?