Alpha 1 forward engaging late

[joe average]

I just bought a 91 searay 185 with 4.3 mercruiser alpha 1, 500 hours. There are 2 shift problems. When engaging forward gear, if the lever is moved forward to the first detent other than neutral (forward idle speed?) forward gear does not engage, it will click as though close to engaging. Continued movement forward will engage the forward gear but since it is also increasing the throttle it engages heavy. With a bit of practice I have found that I can shift into forward gear with not too much fuss by throwing the lever forward pretty far then immediately returning it to the first forward detent. Functional but not ideal. Second problem: putting the boat into reverse engages immediately and nicely but also immediately begins to close the cutout switch. Any movement of the lever past reverse idle speed closes the cutout switch and of course the engine quits. Again functional, as I don't often use reverse above idle anyway, but not right. I have not done any troubleshooting yet as I thought I could run it by you geniuses first and probably get the answer. thanks Joe

 

[BMDODGE]

Re: Alpha 1 forward engaging late

sound's like shift cable adjustment..<br />check it out shift cable adjustment <br />welcome to the board + good luck<br />Bruce

 

[MrBill]

Re: Alpha 1 forward engaging late

I agree with BMDODGE...shift cable is not properly adjusted. His instructions and diagram should be helpful but the Merc manuals depict and explain the adjustment process better. A word of caution...at least one printing of the 1986-1994 Clymer Mercruiser manual has two errors in Shift Cable Adjustment. First, it fails to indicate that the inside nut on the lower cable should be tightened with the cable in the lower position of the slider. Second, in the final adjustment, the text refers to adjusting the cable on the slider, but the diagram illustrates the wrong nut to adjust.<br /><br />Let us know if you're all set...if not, I'll copy adjust instructions from Merc Manual #6 for you.

 

[joe average]

Re: Alpha 1 forward engaging late

Thank You both. I have examined the diagram on the site posted and I believe I understand and could follow the instructions, however it does not give me much understanding of how the system functions. If you believe the manual will help me gain some better understanding of the function of the system then I would love to see it (I don't yet have one). When fixing things I find strangely enough its always good to know why you are doing something and not merely what to do. Knowledge is power. Thanks so much for your help. I'll be here often. Joe

 

[qystan]

Re: Alpha 1 forward engaging late

Look here in the FAQ.<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=000029 <br /><br />In your case, the upper cable is biased towards reverse (too long). Shorten it by turning the upper cable barrel at the shift plate. Do it 1-2 turns each time and test.

 

[joe average]

Re: Alpha 1 forward engaging late

Thanks a lot. I'll tinker this weekend and let you know