OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

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ehallda

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87 OMC 3.0L 140hp. Had the stalling problem spoken of many times on this board. Disconnected ESA connector and it runs fine - no stalls. Do I need to even fix it? Can we just run the thing without the ESA? If so, what will the result be? Rough shifting; quicker gear wear?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for your thoughts/wisdom.
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Yes, the shifting will be rough. It will shift fine on the muffs but once in the water it is very difficult to get out of gear. Going into gear from neutral is easy, but it will sometimes be almost impossible to get back into neutral. Especially dangerous near the dock, ramp, or other boats (trust me, I know, mine didn't work and it's not fun being stuck in forward when you really need to stop NOW). Also, the excessive force you will need to use to get it out of gear will eventually wear down and snap your lower shift cable, and could potentially damage the gears. The ESA isn't that hard to adjust, if you need help email me or post here and I'll help you out, I just got mine working perfect. There's only a few things you can do to test it. <br /><br />1) You need to make sure that the switch with the lever that rests in the "V" notch is electrically "open (off)" when the lever is in the notch and "closed (on)" when the lever is raised. <br /><br />2) The other switch needs to be opposite, "closed (on)" when it's disengaged and "open (off)" when the little metal stops come in contact with it. <br /><br />3) If both those tests check out, make sure that the lever is in the center of the "V" in neutral, and when in gear the littel adjustable metal stops on the shift bracket on the engine tough the other switch, the one without the lever on it. One will touch in "F" and the other will touch in "R". <br /><br />Hope this helps. Don't override the ESA, you'll eventually break something.
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Yes...do the tests just like Steve says however the fact that you are stalling while shifting almost suggests that the ESA is working. Quick test while engine is running at idle in neutral (550-650 rpm) lift up on the switch with arm resting in the v shape notch, engine should stumble and drop in RPM (350-450), only need to do this for a few seconds as that's along as a shift should take. If you stall then you need to possibly do a tune up to prevent stalling, I have a couple of big Cobra's (460's) but I swear I could stumble those guys for hours and they keep on running. Long story short, it's better to fix the problem than bypass it, as Steve says you will pay the price sooner than later by cutting out the ESA, it's there for a reason. Let us know if we can help.
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

I know his esa is working, I suspect that maybe his second switch (without the lever) is not working and therefore the ESA may never be disengaging. <br /><br />My 3.0 will idle forever with the ESA active, but it's not a pretty sight (or sound).... :) <br /><br /><br />Good luck!!
 

rodbolt

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

hello<br /> not all units have the overstroke switch(second switch) . usually stalling in a gear position idicates binding cables and or outdrive bell crank or a stuck or sticking shift shaft bushing.<br /> good luck and keep posting
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

I *think* most OMC's do, especially the 80's 3.0's. I think Mercs have the single switch, which technically should be all that's needed if the system is functioning correctly. The second switch could ultimately mask a shifting problem by design! :eek:
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Possibly what rodbolt means is that OMC redesigned the ESA module to only work with the interrupt switch, they eliminated the circuit for the overstroke switch however they included a timer module within the ESA itself. One of my engines has the newer ESA and if I hold the switch it will only stumble the engine for approx 5-7 secs and then it resumes normal RPM's.If you let go of the switch sooner then it resumes normal RPM's at that time. You can tell if you have this newer ESA by looking at the 4 wire plug from the ESA, the old ones have 2 blue and 2 black (jumper) and on the new there is only 2 blue, the instructions tell you leave the overstroke switch inplace but it doesn't do anything anymore. So it doesn't matter what year the engine is the ESA may have been replaced with the new style.
 

ehallda

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Well, I took your suggestions and it seems to run fine with the muff on - will put it in to test later today. Here are a few of things I found and learned:<br /><br />1. I must have the old ESA - two blue, two black wires. Not sure if this is important.<br /><br />2. When in Forward, the disengaging switch was not full activated. It doesn't give you much room to adjust like on the other side, so I filed the bolt a hair and moved it all the way forward, while rotating it 180 (there was a groove worn in). I also unhooked the top throttle cable and put a few turns on the shackle to tension the bracket more.<br /><br />3. The engine idles fine whether in normal idle or with the ESA manually lifted and in tumble mode. Seems to idle (albiet stumbling) well enough at 350-450 RPM. There is a throttle "range" when in Forward that one just has to get the feel for, knowing what sound correlates to where the switch positions are. It's like play in a steering wheel or any mechanical throttling device.<br /><br />4. Don't ever buy without knowing return policy. I ordered a new ESA thinking it was the problem since the engine worked fine when it was unplugged. To cancel the order, I have to pay a 20% shipping and restocking fee. On the bright side, it's probably 500% less then what my wife will burn today; her fees came undocumented as well.<br /><br />Thanks for all your help.
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

The ESA linkages will move much more in the water, the reason being that there will be a load on the prop/gears and they will be reluctant to release without the ESA. The ESA "V" only really moves when there is resistance from the lower shift cable. You'll see this if you watch it when you have it in the water. <br /><br />The "V" should reset back to center when you're in forward or reverse, it's only designed to move while you're shifting, and bounce back to center once you're in gear. Is this happening? If not your lower cable is binding or misadjusted. The disengage (overstroke) switches are a failsafe only.<br /><br />Good luck, sounds like you're making progress!
 

ehallda

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Well, tide was on it's way out when i posted, and not due in for another few hours - so launching isn't going to happen. When I had the muff on, the "V" was not going back to center. <br /><br />If the lower cable does indeed need adjusting, do I adjust it at the place with the aft cotter pin? There is a black 'thing' that fits inside of the main bracket that looks like its threaded on the cable and can be used to move the cable back and forth. It also looks like one can put some turns on the cable itself even further aft.
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Best advice is to read through the info you got from Stuarts site, print it off if you can because he also included some pictures right out of the OMC manual. That black piece is one of the adjustments however you need to make sure it can move freely in it's housing, as Steve said the v notch needs to reset to center right after the shift.
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Unfortunately, you will probably have to pull the outdrive off. It's not that hard of a job, 6 bolts on the outdrive and 2 nuts on the trim rams, and she comes right off. Follow the instructions on the Stuarts site to the letter, my bet is that the cable is binding (sticking) and that's why the V is not going back to center. If there is a problem on the muffs it only gets worse in the water, trust me on that. <br /><br />When you have the outdrive off, try to move the shift shaft that goes into the lower unit by hand. It should shift very easily. Mine, the seal and bushiung were corroded/worn and the shaft was all but frozen. If this is the case (should be very easy to shift) you'll need a new shift shaft cover, the plate that the shaft goes through. They're about $20-$30, and easy to replace. I would definitely recommend picking up a shop manual... you'll thank yourself. <br /><br />Good luck, keep us posted.
 

ehallda

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Well, your post was helpful, it made me take a second (and third and fourth) look. <br /><br />I took the boat out this morning and while it seemed to run fine (at first) the V was still not going back to center. When run at high RPM (above 3000) a loud noise kicked in and out (like gears barely hitting and "grinding"). This prompted me to drop RPMs real fast.<br /><br />I then read Stuart's site more carefully and learned that I do indeed have the old outdated cable that is highly recommended to have replaced. Since it supposedly takes some special tools, and the service manual (I have the barely useful Clymer), I decided to take it in. The guy in the shop (Lou) said he remembers when the service bulletin came out; he replaced over 500 shift cables that summer! That was reassuring. Lou also said the noise I heard was the dog clutch at hi rpm - which coincides with Stuart.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Lou also contradicted Stuart's on a key issue: Lou says the gears are the problem, not the cable. Lou says the bulletins were released cable first, then gears. Stuart said it was gears first, then cable -- believing that the cable actually fixed the problem and the gears were never the problem. Quoting Stuart's letter to Trailer Boat Mag:<br /><br />"OMC now says those early-production 2° gearsets were really OK. Contrary to what Mr. Elder was told, as well as OMC's original diagnosis, OMC now claims there were never any "bad gears." OMC says the real problem was the transom shift cable. I believe OMC is correct this time."<br /><br />I don't want to replace a thousand dollar gear set, so I'm going to have to wait and see on that one. So, Lou is going to pull off the outdrive and replace the cable at $95 for the cable and about 3 hours of labor at $65/hour. It sounds steep, but at this point, I want the boat for the holiday weekend if possible...so that's what we're paying for...<br /><br />I don't think this is over yet.
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

It sounds like this Lou has some OMC experience which is good for you but from my own experience, Stuarts and many other folks like Steve here and many other forums I think the cable is usually the villan, I know they used to to tell you to check for a red cable, if it's black it's old and no good but today some of the aftermarket cables are black now so you can't assume black is old. Anyway good luck with the new cable and Lou...let us know how you make out.
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

I think you'll be OK once you have the new cable in and adjusted. <br /><br />Let us know!
 

ehallda

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

We have (untested) resolution! I should have the boat tomorrow. The cable was the outdated cable, but it wasn't the primary problem. As you have told me here, the cable goes into a $30 plate and that has a bushing inside. That was corroded and the cable was binding up there. So, we finally got the parts in and they are slapping it back together -- after noting that the gears all look fine. New cable and plate/bushing are going in (including new stern drive seals that explain my chocolaty oil). Thanks for your help!
 

TwoBallScrewBall

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Re: OMC ESA - can it be disabled for good?

Yup, my cable was fine, no effort at all to move it, but that stupid plate with the shaft bushing was shot, I couldn't even move the shift shaft with a pair of pliers. I thought for sure my lower shift mechanism in the outdrive was shot, but I took off the plate and it shifted like silk without the plate there. New plate, and the drive now shifts like it's brand new. <br /><br />Sounds like you got it working, now go out and have some fun. Smart move replacing the cable while you were in there even though it still seemed OK.
 
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