Shift with a BANG

[rms59]

1987 OMC Cobra - 3.0 liter - standard points and ignition - original carb.

Out on the lake, idling in neutral, I shift from neutral to forward or reverse and I can hear the gears engage with a normal hard "click".
But sometimes the gears engage with a loud BANG that worries me. There is no ratcheting or gear slipping at all. It's a solid engagement... only LOUD and acts as if the idle is high but it's not.

Now, some have said that the ESA module activates going IN and OUT of gear but Stuart Hastings says only OUT of gear so who is correct.... if that's the problem at all.

Any ideas?

 

[Wkd179]

ESA works in and out of gear
Idle RPM could be too high?
Could still be using original gears in the lower (there was an upgrade kit back in the day). If original gears repair is not cost effective so just get use to it

 

[jimmbo]

The ESA is designed to momentarily kill the ignition when shifting out of gear into neutral. It effectively unloads the propshaft clutch dog. Without it, the effort needed would be very high and too stresfull for the control cable/control box to last very long. It does work when shifting into gear but it isn't needed.
Slaming into gear, could be too high of an idle speed, or the feedback of a broken/damaged/engine mounting system

 

[rms59]

Thanks for the replies which are much appreciated. The shift cable, gears,bearings, and seals in the lower unit are just a year old and yesterday my son and his family took it out for a couple of hours and said there was no banging noticed. The last thing I did before they took it was to tighten the prop nut which was loose by a quarter turn. Doubt that was it but I guess time will tell.

The idle speed is no higher than 500 rpm and it only did this once in awhile. I will update if it happens again.