Play in the prop shaft, fore and aft, Force 125

[pastorbud]

My 1987 Force 125 has play in the prop shaft. You can move it fore and aft about 1/16 inch. See video. Is this normal? Just noticed it. It also has become almost impossible to get the shift cable adjusted properly.

 

[jerryjerry05]

That's normal.

You need to make sure the shifter isn't the problem??
Make sure the arms aren't loose?
Then if that doesn't help? then under the bottom carb is the connection for the top shift rod.
You can adjust from there too.
What are you trying to adjust?

 

[pastorbud]

I'm adjusting the shift cable tip, or trying to. When I get it the point where it stays securely engage in reverse (no "clacking"), the forward won't work right. (The interlock with the throttle cable locks up, making it lock or hang up as you power up.) And when I adjust to correct for the forward and get it to operate smoothly, the reverse starts clacking.

 

[pastorbud]

The shifter works smoothly when I disconnect the cable tips on the shifter and throttle cables at the base of the powerhead.

 

[jerryjerry05]

You need to get underneath and grab the shifter arms and see if they are loose?

Then if all else fails? adjust at the shift rod under the carbs.
It's best to remove the air box/plenum under the carbs.
4 tiny screws make I SOOOO much easier.

 

[pastorbud]

I'll get under there again today, Lord wiling. The shifter, even with cables disconnected, is smooth, like I said, but a little tight for about the first 20 degrees going from neutral to reverse. I am wondering if I bent something or stretched the cable.

 

[pastorbud]

OH ALSO! When I tried to adjust the throttle cable for WOT, it goes slight past WOT, with the plates pitched down slightly towards the transom. The manual warns about that, but I've adjusted the throttle cable as far as I can to compensate, and it's still a little off in that direction. The cable pushes the throttle slightly too far. I didn't worry too much about it, because I run mostly in the Long Island Sound, and I never get to run wide open anyway unless I head up the Thames River to go tubing or something like that.

 

[jerryjerry05]

The butterfly's can go past horizontal with no problem.

How old are the cables?
They might be sticky or even stretched.

The prop needs to be turning when shifting.
It can do damage to the linkage and even the cable.
Have someone turn it with their foo as you shift.

99% of the time the motors running when the shifter's activated.
But if you've already forced it?? It might be too late???

 

[pastorbud]

Any suggestions on where to buy new cables?

 

[jerryjerry05]

I think they sell cables here??
But I get mine from e-bay. Usually the cheapest.
I bought 4 22ft. for 82$
Shop around.
You'll need Morse 33 style.

 

[pastorbud]

Thanks. They are available here. (I saw that right after I asked!) But the Morse 33 info sure helps. Wasn't sure which I needed. I have my control box apart. I'll be out of town for several days, and I hope to check it next week.

 

[pastorbud]

So, I got back and found multiple problems in the control box. Mostly loose screws that let the throttle cable pop out of the u-shaped clamp that latches into the notch on the cable barrel. Once I aligned and tightened all that up, the alignments back in the engine looked a lot better. I also added thread lock to all the screws that had loosened.

I took the lower unit off earlier to replace the seals and water pump, so I won't be able to test and adjust the cables fully until I have that taken care of and re-install the lower unit.

 

[pastorbud]

So everything is reassembled. It shifts much better now. Pops into forward and into reverse with a lot less movement of the shifter. I think the biggest problem was that those two U clamps on the brass barrel at either end of the shift cable had loosened and the cable had moved. I hope to try it out on the water soon.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Let us know???