Cable adjustment question

[Forgotten]

Hello, I have a question regarding adjusting the shift cable on a 1993 Evinrude 150 Spitfire. I think I have the cable adjusted correctly, or at least close to it. I have a problem though. Neutral is working correctly. If I just barely shift it into gear (forward or reverse) it doesn't seem to engage completely. I can spin the propeller by hand and it makes a clicking sound. If I apply a little throttle it moves the cable further in the direction it needs to go and the gear engages completely. All this diagnosing was done without the motor running, just spinning the prop by hand.

I was wondering if there could be something in the control box that could be preventing the cable from moving enough when first gear is first engaged or if something could be worn out?

Thanks

 

[w2much]

Re: Cable adjustment question

Sounds OK to me. Check the manual for cable adjustments.

 

[cgibbo308]

Re: Cable adjustment question

how far are you shifting it???
you said in the post that "if you barely shift into gear"....
you are not shifting far enough. the controls have a wide shift range.
it may move 2 inches either side of neuteral b4 she is fully engaged.
i KNOW yours is alot newer than the one i posted, yet i know even the newer ones on other makes are similar to these. the single lever shift/throtal are a strange setup.. they work, i know they work. but
they are the devils work lol

 

[Forgotten]

Re: Cable adjustment question

Ok, based on the diagram what I call "barely shifting into gear" would be at the line of the shift range. You shift into forward or reverse but have not given it any additional throttle, that is when it doesn't seem to be fully engaged in gear, and you can turn the propeller by hand clockwise if you are in forward, but you cannot turn it counter-clockwise when in forward. Vise versa for reverse. If you move the throttle to about where fast idle would be in gear, I cannot turn the propeller without the motor turning over. Hope this clears things up.

 

[Forgotten]

Re: Cable adjustment question

I was wondering if the cable could have something binding in it or is dirty and sticky. In theory this could keep the cable from moving as freely and as far as it should, right? I will try and disconnect the cable tomorrow from the motor and control box and see if anything is in a bind. I was also wondering if maybe it could be a shift shaft issue? Like the shaft is worn and isn't pushing whatever it pushes enough?

When I mentioned that giving it throttle from the control box I forgot to mention that you could see the shift lever move farther, and this was causing it to engage fully, but without throttle it didn't seem to move the linkage enough to fully engage the gear.

 

[cgibbo308]

Re: Cable adjustment question

yeah it could just be an ajustment issue. im sure there is a section here about it

 

[Forgotten]

Re: Cable adjustment question

I already tried adjusting the cable, and this was as close as working correctly as I could get it. It does this issue in forward and reverse, and neutral is fine, so I figure I am in the middle of the slop. If I adjust the cable in or out it will make one gear work better, and the other work worse.

 

[oldman570]

Re: Cable adjustment question

Just easing the throtal shifter so the motor is in gear and at idle is very hard on the gears and clutch dog in the LU and should be avoided. Best is to push it father to have the gears fully engage and then back it off to the speed that one wants to run at. JMO
Oldman570

 

[Forgotten]

Re: Cable adjustment question

I always try not to run it in that throttle position, I usually try and keep it at a fast idle or planed out. Last time I was out on the lake it fell out of gear when I was cruising, and made some pretty horrible noises. I diagnosed that it was a cable adjustment problem, shifts fine and is positive when shifting on the motor, changed the gear lube didn't have any metal shavings worth noting, I've just been trying to get this cable adjusted correctly, which I think I have done, and didn't know if there could be some slop somewhere else that could be keeping that cable from shifting it positively into gear at idle, I see that it pulls the shift lever on the motor farther forward the more throttle that is applied. I have it adjusted to approximately the same for forward and reverse.

 

[oldman570]

Re: Cable adjustment question

As long as it holds and engages the LU gears fully when the adjustment is compleat you should be good to go for sometime. One has to remmber that anything that moves will cause wear and will need to be replaced at some point. Telflex replacement cables can be used as long as the control is still in working order, otherwise a compleat control with cables will be needed. A little grease and oil will help keep things from ware an help keep any corrision at bay.
Oldman570