Help with shift on Alpha One

[Fishermark]

I'm helping my dad with his Alpha one. He has had problems for awhile with shifting - especially into reverse. I put a new shift cable assembly on and it works very smoothly with the outdrive off the boat. When I put the outdrive on, the shift cable is very tight - I have to pull the cable very hard to engage reverse.<br /><br />With the outdrive off the shifter on the outdrive (the "foot" or "shoe") turns very easily. I put a new upper shift lever and bushings on, so there is no "slop" in the bell housing area. Everything works great until assembled. <br /><br />Here is something that I notice that may or may not be causing a problem. With the outdrive off and upright, when I turn the prop counterclockwise to put it into forward gear I notice the "foot" or "shoe" is not pointing straight forward, it is still cocked off to port a couple of degrees. Is it supposed to point directly forward? Is it possible to put this shift lever on incorrectly when assembling the lower unit?<br /><br />If that isn't the problem, where do you suggest I look next?

 

[Don S]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

While turning the prop counter clockwise turn the shifter foot to the forward position. You will have to keep tension on the prop to keep it from coming out of gear. When you feel the prop drop into the dogs of the clutch, the foot should point forward.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

Thanks Don,<br />I know it should point forward, and it does for the most part - but looking down on it from the top it appears to be several degrees to the "left" of straight ahead. Is the intermediate shaft a splined shaft? In other words, it is possible for it to be off a spline or two?

 

[Don S]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

It would be more than a few degrees, more like a quarter of a turn off if you was off on the splines.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

I went ahead and separated the lower from the upper - it apparently is / was in the correct spline. Like you say, there is quite a bit of difference with just one spline off. I believe the intermediate shaft may be bent. It doesn't look quite "right" to me.<br /><br />I will take the shaft to the local parts house on Monday and compare it with a new one. I will let you know what I find. But in the meantime, is there anything else I should ckeck? (I did a search, and found that sometimes the washer below the shaft is missing, but mine wasn't).

 

[Don S]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

If you tried to install it and it wasn't straight forward, I may have been bent, or the one in the bellhousing is bent. If one or the other, or both are bent, replace them. Straightening them may weaken them or not be close enough for proper shifting.<br />When you install the drive, you should be able to just push the drive on all the way by hand. If you have to pull it together with the attaching nuts, there is something wrong.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

when you replaced the cable. is it a new inner and outer cable or just the inner? is the cable kinked? or did it get kinked and restraightend on instalation> is it the old style fwd entry to the bell housing or the late style aft cable entry ?<br /> with someone holding the slide to the lever and the drive off you should be able to hold the engine side of the cable between two fingers and move it in the full range with no binding. did you carfully clean the slide pocket when replacing the cable? some people like to pack the cavity full of grease and it will cause hard shifting to reverse. let us know what you find

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

The problem was definately a bent intermediate shift shaft. I decided not to wait till Monday. I used a vise and hammer. I don't believe I did any damage to the shaft itself - it is pretty stout brass. It wasn't bent enough to not work, just enough to cause a bind and enough of an effort to pull into reverse that the interupt switch was causing the engine to die. After putting things back together this evening it now shifts with the greatest of ease. I'm happy!

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

Thanks Rodbolt,<br />Looks like we were posting at the same time. I replaced the entire cable assembly - outer cover, inner cable, new slide - the works. In fact, it is the new style of inner cable that is black - looks like it is teflon coated or something. Anyway, with everything together it now pulls back and forth with two fingers lightly holding the cable.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

hello<br /> glad ya found it now someone has to own up to who pulled the drive without placing the shift in fwd <br /> that is the normal cause of bending the shaft

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Help with shift on Alpha One

now someone has to own up to who pulled the drive without placing the shift in fwd

At least it wasn't me! <br /><br />Actually, the sad thing is it has been this way for years! He has taken it to various shops and they have replaced the cable and it would work sometimes and sometimes not. They would adjust it again, etc, but could never really say what the problem was. I knew something had to be wrong other than the cable,because I have an Alpha one on my boat as well, and it works perfect everytime.<br /><br />But anyway, now I am confident that the problem has been solved once and for all. Thanks again for the input.