Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

[Glasply]

I've got an Alpha, 2007 reman unit, on a 1978 housing, mated to a newer 350. Frankenboat, I know... The drive shifted fine when I removed it.

To remove it, I put it in forward and unbolted the six nuts. It came off fine. I replaced the impeller and pump housing, replaced the prop zinc, put new gaskets and o-rings on it, checked the engine alignment, and put it back on. The shift cables were disconnected from the plate when I reinstalled the drive, but the keyway from the housing was parallel to the keel and the shift shaft slid in fine. The drive slid most the way home, but needed to be sucked together about 5/16 with the nuts as it was reinstalled.

I reconnected the cables, fired it up on the muffs, and I've got reverse when I'm in forward... I pulled the shift cable off the plate again, and when I pull it, I get reverse. When I push it, I get neutral. When I push it really hard, I still only get neutral.

Did I bend the shift shaft or did I put something together bass ackwards when I did the water pump?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Ayuh,... My guess is yer 1 spline off between the lower unit, 'n the upper...

Ya have to hold pressure on the propshaft to stay in Forward, as you slide the lower unit, up...

 

[Glasply]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Well, when I drag myself outta bed (flu on opening weekend of fishing season) that'll be the first thing I check. Thanks,

 

[Glasply]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Well,

Pulled the drive, busted a knuckle, broke the upper and lower apart, checked the linkage on the shift shaft, held pressure on the propshaft while in forward, put it together, put it back on, fired it up.

I get reverse and neutral. With the cables off the plate, I get reverse when I extend the shift cable, neutral when I compress it. I also can't use the shifter to put it into reverse. When the cables are set in the plate/neutral safety switch, I can use the shifter to shift between neutral and forward positions, but if I tried to go toward reverse, I'm sure something would break from forcing it.

So, I'm tired of it and pissed off. Who's the most reliable shop in central/south puget sound? I'm bagging it up and taking it in.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Pulled the drive, busted a knuckle, broke the upper and lower apart, checked the linkage on the shift shaft, held pressure on the propshaft while in forward, put it together, put it back on, fired it up.

Ayuh,... You need to pull the Lower unit, from the Upper unit, Not the Whole Drive...

The Lower unit's splines are 1 off from the Upper unit's shift foot....

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Ayuh,... You need to pull the Lower unit, from the Upper unit, Not the Whole Drive...

The Lower unit's splines are 1 off from the Upper unit's shift foot....

^^^ Yup, been there done that.

You could drop the lower unit to get it straightened out, or pull the entire drive and seperate the upper and lower. Make sure when you get it back together that when the "shift foot" is facing straight forward, the drive is in locked in forward gear.

 

[myredchevys]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Hi everyone-Alpha 1 Gen 1 - Is there anyway of bench checking this before you install the drive? just want to make sure I am not a spline off. Followed the manual and turned shift shaft clockwise and pointed the shift lever at 12 o'clock position. I lowered the upper gear case onto the lower and held pressure on the propshaft counter clockwise -slipped together pretty easy-but did not seem to have to hold a spring tension when they mated. if you are a spline off is that adjustable at the shift cable.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Hi everyone-Alpha 1 Gen 1 - Is there anyway of bench checking this before you install the drive?

Should start your own thread, but If it is together, turn the intermediate shift shaft all the way clockwise (prop locks CCW), if it points straight ahead it is OK.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

MYREDCHEVS, Please start your own thread it gets to confusing when people jump into anothers thread....... Glasply, sounds like the shift shaft spline is out of sync. with the shif shoe. Again split the housing and redo the steps. Turn slined shift shaft i believe clockwise into forward gear hold pessure on prop, place shift shoe facing forward when putting it togaether with shift in forward.

 

[Glasply]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Bondo--Wasn't it pretty clear I pulled the lower apart from the upper? I just pulled the drive off first because it's warmer and not raining in my garage.

Starsnstripers--I think I did exactly what you described, I held pressure on the shaft and kept it in gear as I put the upper and lower back together. The shaft seemed a couple degrees off of 12 o'clock, but as close as I could get it to perpendicular to the transom.

All--Are all the shift shafts just splined connections, or is there an indexed spline on some units. It seems like there's not a lot of options for how the shaft goes together on mine if I remember right. I may not be remembering right though--3 days of a 102 degree fever makes you kinda dopey...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

All--Are all the shift shafts just splined connections, or is there an indexed spline on some units. It seems like there's not a lot of options for how the shaft goes together on mine if I remember right. I may not be remembering right though--3 days of a 102 degree fever makes you kinda dopey...

This may help a little: On the gen II, like your 07 the bottom of the lower shift shaft is splined (male) http://www.mercruiserparts.com/showSpecialPicture.asp?pn=815919A1 that fits into the female splines in the bottom of the shift crank http://www.mercruiserparts.com/showSpecialPicture.asp?pn=76865 which rotates to move the shift spool back and forth to engage either forward or reverse gear. if you pull up on the ss (by accident or on purpose) it will slip out of the crank, and there is no indexing so you have to make sure it goes back in correctly. What you need to do to make sure it is correct it turn the ss all the way clockwise, rotate the prop CCW, when it locks you are in forward. If the ss points straight ahead it is correct, if not hold CCW pressure on the prop, pull up on the ss to disengage it and push it back into the crank in the proper orientation.

 

[Glasply]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Conclusion; I was putting pressure on the propshaft in the forward direction, which meant I was actually holding it in reverse. I--and anybody who doesn't think this through--needed to visualize the whole 'equal and opposite reaction' and push backward to lock forward.... D'oh!

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Alpha Merc Shift Problems after drive r/r

Nice! good to hear your back in order.

As Homer Simpson would say: