Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

[hosfom]

I am having trouble feeding the shifting cable through the lower unit and transom and into the engine compartment. The cable keeps getting stuck in the engine (2000 Merc 5.0L V8).
I came home for Xmas break to find my parents boat in pieces (28 ft Monterey). Originally, the engines would run but would stall out as soon as the boat was shifted into gear. A mechanic tried to adjust the shifting mechanism but decided that the shifting cables would have to be replaced. The boat was pulled from the water and the lower units were removed.
The mechanic fed the shifting cable through the lower unit and transom and got it stuck in the engine. He spent almost a day trying to free it and eventually cut the cable and ordered a new one. Sure enough, he got that one stuck as well. The mechanic is now on vacation and we have a $2800 bill and a boat that is in pieces. I spent about two hours trying to get the cable unstuck. The engine compartment is very tight and it is impossible to get a good view of what is going on. I can only see the cable after the brass tip hits something and the rest of the coil loops out. Although I can see the loop, the tip is already stuck. There is a half bell shaped piece of metal on the back of the engine which I assume covers the flywheel. The cable is entering under the half bell and getting hung up inside.
Does anyone have any tips on getting the cable unstuck and getting it fed through correctly. Thanks in advance for any help.

Mike

 

[Don S]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

They do get stuck like that when the get pushed between the coupler and bellhousing. You need someone outside to push the cable in, then someone inside to guide the cable. If you don't have help, I normally leave the inner core from the old cable thru the hole, push the new cable onto the old core and let it follow proper route.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

can't help ya on gettin it unstuck. use mirrors, flashlites, whatever to see if ya can see what it's hung up on....

don't know if would work. but after it's unstuck. ya might try running a string thru the transom first. get both ends free. then tie it onto, tape it onto, whatever is nessesary to get the string and the new cable to be one. then use the string to help guide it the direction ya want.... i pulled my string in with the old cable when i pulled it out. when reinstalling i found i didn't need the string so got rid of it. but it was my insurance just in case i ended up with yer senerio....... dons idea sounds real good to me.......can't think ya'd beat haveing the routeing down by following the old cable....... i did the same with my string though. i knew where i needed to go by following my string.... his idea is better because the core wire is already there. no string needed.....

 

[hosfom]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

Thanks for the quick reply. I wish my mechanic knew that. It seems like a good idea and seems like it should be the obvious idea if you have done a couple.

Unfortunately, I have a cable stuck in there right now. Do you have any tips on getting them unstuck? Also, I was having my dad feed the cable while I tried to guide it but I can't see exactly where the cable comes through. I thought about putting a peice of metal under the bell housing so the cable couldn't go in there. Any thoughts? Thanks again.

 

[Don S]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

The metal end on the cable is what is hanging up, It needs to be parallel to the to the shaft hole to get it out, when you pull from the outside, it sits at an angle and is therefor wider than the opening. But, if there is any kind of a kink in the cable that causes even a slight bind, replace it.

 

[obezag]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

It is like a circus act to get it through. I have my wife feed the cable through while I use a length of coat hanger with the end curled around to catch the end of the cable and slowly guide it over.

 

[jdshort98]

Re: Need Help With Feeding Shifting Cable

I know this is too late to help you, but it may prevent others from experiencing this problem.

When you are replacing a Mercruiser alpha shift cable, first remove the core wire. At the enigne end, there is a SS tuve threaded onto the end of the outer housing of the cable. Remove this SS tube, and cut off about a 1/2 inch piece from the end of it, the end with the threads on it. Save this small peice. At the end of the core wire, on the transom end, there is a small puck attached to the cable. Slide this small 1/2 inch SS piece you cut over the core wire, so that it ends up at the puck on the other end of the core wire. Now you can attach this small 1/2 SS tube back into the engine end of the outer housing of the shift cable. When you pull the housing out off the boat, from the outside, the core wire is now a chase. Once you remove the old cable, simply attach the the outer housing, and pull back through. Then remove the "Special Cable" you made, and save it for your buddy!

Also, when you tighten the outer housing into the bell housing, be sure to watch inside the boat, and make sure the cable is rotating freely. If it does not, you will twist the outer housing of the cable, and then it is junk.

If anyone wants, I will photo this special cable for you to see. Works like a charm!

Good luck!