Omc Cobra shift problems---- 5.7 1988

[Lou C]

Agreed, when you said you could not get the trunnion set because you ran out of threads, I knew something had to be wrong with the cable, and I can't see any way you could get it set up right that way. The one on my boat is an OE cable but it has to be OLD....because it was on it when I bought it 17 years ago! I have always stored it with the drive down which helps the cables last longer. The last time I adjusted the cable was 6 years ago and the drag on the cable then was less than 2 lbs. Learning the adjustment process took me about a half day, and I used the instructions on the midnight wolf site even though I have a factory OMC 1988 shop manual because at the time, OMC did not have the special tools to adjust the cable, that came later, and that is what makes the adjustments more accurate and faster too. The procedure in the shop manual is more labor intensive and you are more likely to make mistakes than with the tools and the updated instructions.

 

[MRS]

Here is how I use to do mine I since have gone to a outboard and will never go back to a I/O motor but mine did shift like silk.
It worked for me but others said different so I did not post it any more. OK my last post on the I/O page really I think.

 

[ab59]

OK guys this is my plan " j " , having exhausted A-I . I found yet another manual on a rival site ( Bayliner Owners Club ) they just happened to pop up in my search . This manual shows the correct shift bracket and has some differences in adjustment.
I took the outdrive off again and re adjusted the cable anchor as directed . With the bell crank jig in place , this application you set up the Engine end first and adjust to fit the jig . I secured the bell crank at Gimbal by screwing on the teardrop shaped nut by hand to the end of the cable core. Since they said this was critical to keep this exact measurement I taped the jig to the cable end after setting it up at the engine end , holding it in place. There was no mention of the Trunion being set at any measurement at that time. i then went to the the gimbal end and pushed the plastic guide all the way in till it stopped THEN screwed the teardrop shaped keeper nut until it made contact with the back of the plastic guide and then installed the retaining screw and made it tight. This leaves some threads sticking out of the nut when finished .
Once again I set everything up according to spec . lined up the switches and the detent etc.
After assembly I now have Forward , Neutral and Reverse again . In the end I adjusted the Trunion of the TSC after setting up the switches and detent and did not set it to any certain measurement , simply adjusted to fit the other set adjustments . I have not measured it in it's final place.
I'm headed down to the ramp after a little break to test . Again .
Here's hoping---
Will try to remember to take my camera.
thanks, A.B.

 

[ab59]

Well i guess I'm back to the regular things that go wrong. Went to the ramp and the water is so low that the ramp is sanded up and too shallow to float the boat off the trailer.
ran it on the muffs at home instead . It shifted in and out of both gears and neutral with no problems However when i trip the interrupter switch by hand it does not effect the ESA or engine speed so I just ordered another set along with another shift bracket with all hardware. The detent does return to the V through each gear now.
Going to re test the power to the ESA system again tomorrow .
I thank you guys for your help and guidance this has really been a trial . I do not remember ever hiving this much trouble with anything I have taken on.

A.B.

 

[ab59]

I got the new switches and installed them on the shift bracket and now when I shift the detent does not return to the center of the V . I also cannot get the engine to start now . Can I disconnect the switches at the harness and bypass them to start the engine ? Would I need to unplug the ESA as well ?
Did not get much done today but will get the detent problem worked out tomorrow , hopefully .
thanks--- A B

 

[Lou C]

You can unplug the switches if you feel you need to in order to get the engine to start. If the Interrupt switch is kept engaged, it could be hard to start. Sometimes if you tighten the screws that hold the switches on too much the switch can stick on. Try just getting them snug.The mystery is why your load lever will not return to the center.

 

[ab59]

Hey Lou --- I will back the screws off a little and see what I got. I noticed that they weren't very tight when I took them off so I tried not to tighten them up too much but I did make them tighter that they were originally . Will just snug them and put a drop of Blue loc tight on the back.
I was gone out of town for a few days to attend my moms 90th birthday and when we got back yesterday I found the battery dead and the key in the on position. Funny thing is I had been testing everything in an ohms selection setting and not energizing the system. I dunno . hope my little joker is'nt back to their old tricks. Probably not , just something i overlooked i guess.
Had not been having starting problems before I went south so should be able to figure this out . can't be much.

 

[ab59]

A little luck. I went out and loosened the screws and tinkered with the switch and got both the engine to start and the detent to return to the center of the V , mostly. Still does not function the way it should though . Ran out of daylight so will start again tomorrow morning . maybe i can figure out why the load lever is sticky then.

thanks Lou-------

 

[ab59]

Well looks like 50 bucks and two weeks later and still have the same Problem.
I made another video of the current problems I'm having . Hopefully it will show some one what it is I'm doing wrong.
The strangest thing about this is that as i shifted this yesterday afternoon the detent returned to the center V when in Forward , Neutral and Reverse. Today it does not.
Again , with the engine running and tripping the interrupter switch , the engine does not slow even with the new switches that tested as good with an OHM Meter.

see video --- https://youtu.be/j9bb5jrPTvw

thanks ---A B

 

[Lou C]

OK watched the vid. Now when you shift it with the engine off, you really should have someone spin the prop, reason being a dog clutch shifted drive can get jammed up if you try to shift it with the engine off, if the clutch dogs do not happen to line up when you shift it, it may fight going into gear. So a true test of if the cable is sticking, is to have someone spin the prop while the other person works the shifter. Try doing that and re-post the vid. If it works then, it was how you were checking it, if not then something is causing your transom shift cable to bind because that is the only thing that should cause the load lever to move. Could be the cable it self, or the bell crank in the pivot housing, or the shifter inside the lower unit. When I did mine I made sure that: I could shift it with the drive off, with the shift lever that goes into the lower unit and spinning the prop shaft (or the driveshaft, either way is a good test). And, made sure the bell crank in the pivot housing moved easily. When I set up the cable, I measured the drag, with both ends disconnected, has to be less than 2.5 lbs.

OK for the ESA, if your ESA does not stumble the engine, and you are sure the module has a good ground (important) then the module is no good., Mine went bad when it was about 26 years old if I recall. This must work for your to be able to get the drive out of gear.

So try the shift test with someone spinning the prop, and report back.

 

[ab59]

You were 100% right about turning the prop when shifting and not running the engine , had the wife spin the prop while shifting and every thing lined up the way it should .
ESA is another story. I removed and cleaned the ground at the ESA bracket and re installed but did not make any difference . Is there a way to test for correct function ? I tested just to see if it was getting juice and it is but I don't know how or if it can be tested for correct function .

another video clip ---https://youtu.be/vuIOx8L8WFM

 

[Lou C]

Want to laugh...here's how I adjusted the shift linkage and tested it when no one was home to spin the prop. Got a fan and put it on high speed. This, was just enough to turn the prop if I put it close enough.

I looked in my OMC shop manual and there is no real test for the module, if it has power and the switches work, if the module does not stumble the engine, the module is probably bad.
However if I remember right you have an electronic distributor, there is a diode fix that must be wired up for it to work with that. Before replacing the module, you need to research this and make sure it is wired up and connected right. I kept mine points so I never had to figure that out.

 

[ab59]

Thanks Lou , pretty good story about the fan , gotta grin out of me . I know that this ESA system worked before I changed the transom shift cable so it was working the way it is. I think , at least I never had it hang in gear like this.
I noticed that the pertronix conversion kit comes with an ESA that is supposed to be compatible with the conversion , Is this correct ? I have also read something about the " new " style ESA being even better and will work with the conversion but I could have got that wrong.
Just seems like that if it worked before it should work now or at least that is what is in the back of my mind anyway.
I have the information on the diode diagram someplace but I keep thinking about it working before . I did also pull the engine a second time , maybe I broke it somehow .
Have you ever asked CDI for information and got a response ? Maybe I could ask them about compatibility and which ESA I should have on the engine.
thanks ------- A B

 

[Lou C]

You can call CDI and they do have tech support and will answer questions. Give that a try....
The differences in the ESA modules are as follows:
1)original, points distributor, has an interrupt switch and an overstroke switch (this keeps the interrupt from lowering engine idle when the drive is in gear)
2)next version, eliminated the overstroke switch but incorporated a timer into the ESA so it only lowers the idle for a brief few seconds it takes to make the shift, still used with points distributors
3)last version, to be used with electronic distributors

I would start with making sure that the diode fix set up is all connected properly. Those modules last time I checked are not cheap.
On mine I never bothered to get rid of the points just for that reason. The ESA always worked right then the switches just got worn out and the module failed. So I replaced both in 2014 or so.

 

[ab59]

Thanks for your reply Lou-- This job just keeps getting stranger . While I was going through the shift and ESA systems for about the hundredth time I wanted to make sure of whether I have the Pertronix Distributor conversion on the engine. To my surprise I found a Mallory electronic ignition system !!! I know that when I first set the distributor into the new engine I looked and had first thought that I had a Prestolite but when I looked closely I found that it was a Pertronix , go figure. Guess I should not have let the engine sit out back for so long. Even stranger is that I would rather have a real electronic Distributor than the conversion anyway ! Might have gone to the same people that sucked 3/4 of a tank of fuel out of the boat , another 90 bucks I'm out . Sure wish I lived in a state that would not throw me in prison for putting some Rock Salt in some thieves butts .
I have had my suspicions several times about things being " swapped out " in the extended time it took me to put the engine back in the boat for the last time.
So , this will take a different ESA Module to go with this Dis. , right ? Do the ESA modules for the electronic ignition systems need the diode system installed to work correctly ??
God forgive me but I am nearly to the point of taking this to a boat mechanic but my pride and my wallet keep saying No . I noticed that the detent at the shift bracket does not jump when being shifted from gear into Neutral like it should , not sure what that indicates or how it could trigger the ESA without that little hop .
By the way , the distance between the center of the lower shift cable pin hole and the Trunion turned out to be 6 1/2 " as mentioned by others , after everything was adjusted.
I dunno A B -----

 

[Lou C]

When you say it does not trigger the ESA, keep in mind that when shifting with the engine off (and someone spins the prop) there should be no load on the prop, and in turn no load on the shift cable. That’s why OMC called that lever with the V groove the load lever; it moves in response to a load on the shift cable. So what you are seeing is normal. If you watched it when shifting in the water; then yes the load lever for sure should trip the ESA when shifting out of gear.

About the module, I’d call CDI tell them what you have and ask what they suggest.

 

[ab59]

thanks Lou ---ok , emailed CDI and all I got was a shift assist module part # for my application. BUT they had a download of an installation and Troubleshooting Guide that tells how to test your Module so I thought I'd post it . I did buy the latest module available and am waiting on it's arrival . Guess I won't post it since it seems to lead back to my own download page in my computer . The information should be available at their website to any who need it .

A B

 

[Lou C]

If you have questions you can call their tech support and speak to a real person

 

[ab59]

Hey Lou---- I didn't call them because it looks like they are out of England somewhere and all their prices were in British lbs. I don't have a land line any more and just use my cell so did not think I could make the connection .

 

[Lou C]

Lol
they are in Alabama!