Snagging List advice

[markanddawn]

For all those helping me, in particular Ed and Baasboat 1 - thanks so much.

I apologise if the pictures go out of upload order but I will try my best. Please see caption above or below each.

Firstly, the engine itself a 1999 5.0 Mercruiser Thunderbolt Ignition

Here is a range of pictures that should explain the sequence of events.

Hopefully, this will help you to help me even more.

The Morse control lever, where it should be in neutral. It will only start in this position.

This is the position I need to adopt to get out of forward gear

Red arrow = where muppet adjusted idle speed. Red arrow = where nice guy engineer told me to adjust

Starboard Side Shift Mechanism

Could this be the infamous micro switch?

Does that rusty top bar/rod mean anything?

Close Up

Some loose wires. Yellow was attached by carb body

Close Up

Idiot I am. Yellow arrow is where the "good" engineer told me to adjust
Thanks Mark

[markanddawn]

Sorry for all the engine pictures. Whenever I tried to "place in line" on new pictures it put another engine picture. Perhaps Cap'n Jack can delete these. Also need to inspect pictures from bottom of page up.

[markanddawn]

The shift assembly is mounted on the starboard exhaust elbow, which is on top of the exhaust manifold and the throttle is mounted just before the carburettor to port.

You'll get used to the jargon soon!

The Teleflex/Morse throttle/shift has 2 cables. A throttle cable and a shift cable. The shift cable goes to the shift assembly and the throttle cable runs round to a mount just before the carburettor.

The shift assembly translates it's movements from the shift on the throttle assembly to the shift cable which runs through the transom shield and then into the stern drive to the shift shaft and then to the gearbox at the bottom of the stern drive.

The more I think about this the more I am convinced it's not the throttle interrupt switch. You were told that idle revs were too high, so they have been lowered and it was fine before hand, therefore at lower idle revs it should be easier to shift. Plus if you have a Bravo drive, I'm not sure if they have interrupt switches?

Bassboat, what do you think?

It's entirely possible that you do have some wear somewhere and the whole thing was previously adjusted up to work fine, but when it's adjusted to correct tolerences the wear has shown up.


There is one other more nasty problem, which is unlikely, but possible. Water may have got into the stern drive cable, via a faulty shift bellows, if you notice it's wet at the assembly, this would cause the sticking.

As bassboat said previously, there could be several reasons and each one requires elimination.

I'm going with the muppet theory though and think he has adjusted the shift assembly incorrectly.

If you can post the photos here as well that would be good.

Hi Cap'n

Pictures up now. It has an Aplha 1 gen 2 drive and the bellows were replaced at the same time as manifolds and risers, so I suspect ok unless there is a long term underlying problem.

I cannot emhasise enough that the boat was 100% spot on during a very rough sea trial on Southampton Water. So rough the vendor asked me to pilot it (I raced yachts and dinghies for many years, so power is a doddle). It behaved faultlessly, except the trim tabs didn't work, a fuse later and bingo - all sorted.

Regarding technical teminology, no problem. I know all the terms and what they are and do but absolutely hopeless at fixing things. An engineer I am most definately not, I am humbled by peoples genuine willingness to help.

I think I owe one ot two a beer if ever they make it to Cardiff Bay/Bristol Channel. I have no trailer to travel to other forum venues, unfortunately. I really wanted to go on the abandoned Alderney cruise and suspect having a sea heads, may have made me quite popluar!

Thanks again.

[markanddawn]

A few more pics, re: snag list.

Hopefully it will all be worth it!

[Capn Jack]

I've sorted out your pictures.

The upper cable on the assembly is the control shift cable, the lower one is to the stern drive. The rust actually looks like the brass part of the cable, however if it is rusty this could explain the difficulty in shifting.

Yes the picture of the interrupt switch is correct. If you look at the picture where you have mentioned a rusty cable, you can see the spring, a large V on it's side, for the interrupt switch, it's on the opposite side.

I think your muppet or so called engineer adjusted the wrong cable. He probably went to adjust the throttle cable, adjusted the shift instead then realised he'd screwed up.

[markanddawn]

Oh, so I have got an interupt switch. In fact, when I think about it and "force" the boat out of gear it does dip in RPM (noise wise, as tacho not working). Not necessarily at the right time but it does sound like it is "hunting" just for a split second.

Would you mind explaining (apart from switch) at what point I might adjust the cable from? And, would the muppets adjustment of tick over (It is very slow tick over now) even from the wrong place have any bearing on the shift mechanism issue?

I have attached (hopefully) a PDF engineers guide to adjusting the switch, not sure if it is right?

Also is Capn Jack and Cap'n Jack the same person

Thanks for all your help

[jokaboat]

Also is Capn Jack and Cap'n Jack the same person

He / they sure is / are. He gets confused, poor old thing

[markanddawn]

If he can help me, I don't mind what they call him, or how old he is. With age comes experience, that's why I know nothing

[baasboat1]

Bassboat, what do you think?

could be Bert or Ernie, then again could the Beaker or the Swedish Chef - I just dont know which muppet has done this........

[baasboat1]

Right here we go (through now I am going to comment the photos arent visible (hmm)

You need the throttle lever to be in the vertical position to be able to start the engine, thats a safety measure so you dont start in gear and have either a surprise, or end up in the coroners court.

The fact you need the trottle lever raked back a bit to get it out of gear proves someone has mucked up your cable settings!

The yellow arrow looks like the idel speed screw, the red arrow is the throttle cable linkage - not sure why he should have needed to touch either if they were fine before, but tinkering with either/ both isnt advisable if you dont know what to do. Even a quarter turn on either will through it out and tinker with both and ...well as you have discovered its a nightmare

The photo where you say 'is this the microswitch' - well it looks like it to me, though end on its a bit hard to tell

Next photo - where you mention the rusty bar, I agree with Capn, that could cause trouble if its binding a bit, they are usually liberally coated in marine lubricant to stop water and gunk getting inside, worth having a look above it to see how it go wet as it shouldnt have really. This cable should be smooth in operation, if its jumpy or grinding in the sheath then you may need a new cable, but you need to find out how it got wet first. Just had another thought, is it rust or marine lubricant (2-4-C is yellow so worth checking to see if it is rust or old lubricant), strange that the lower cable is clean - anyone would think a muppet had taken that off, given it a wipe before putting it back on in the wrong place!
In the same photo, the microswitch should be behind the lower cable - obscurred by it in the photo

Now then, to set the gear shift cables back is a right pain, needs two people and if your boats in the water you're going to need a snorkel as well as some poor sod is going to have to get wet. There is a detailed method in the workshop manual, but it goes soemthing like this, disconnect the battery so you dont accidentally start the flippin thing, one person puts it into gear and the other turns the prop by hand until it engages the gear and stops solid- mark the postion on the cable, then into reverse and do it again, then work out the half way point and set it to that - but bear in mind every quarter turn of the adjustor makes a big difference. I have been through this on land and gave up after several hours as just couldnt get it right! Would hate to try this in the water!!! Bottom line on mine was a tiny amount of stretch in the cable going to the leg, had that replaced and all sorted - but thats a leg off job and best left to a marine engineer!
However in your case all was fine until Beaker had a fiddle, so chances are it isnt the microswitch or the cable stretch but some muppet who doesnt know what he was doing fiddling with settings and walking away.

Hope this helps

regards

Baasboat1

PS if its was me, I would explaion to the nice engineer the shoddy service so far and how you want your new toy working for this weekend, youre so keen that you will be able to help him and seek to learn about your new engine by watching what he does and he can explain what he is doign as he goes along. That way you can watch the test of the microswitch to see that it works, you can watch the setting of the shift cable and if it is binding, he will be more than happy to let you have a go of the cable yourself so you can feel it, of course if its bnot binding he cant really tell you that you need a new one! Get him to bring a tacho so you can see what the rpm actually is - you never know he may just get your broken one going again whilst hes there. Of course if he turns up with the manual, a puzzled look anda nervous twitch then at least you know what you are dealing with!

[Gazjen]

I could probably machine some nice levers for your trim tab switch what size screws were they you used?

[Capn Jack]

He / they sure is / are. He gets confused, poor old thing

I am just as confused as the other one! Yes, we are one and the same, sorry to confuse long story.


It's ashame you're in Wales, I'd pop over and have a look..

[markanddawn]

It's ashame you're in Wales, I'd pop over and have a look.. [/quote]

Looks like your Editor maybe on his way. I have volunteered to take him out on Bristol Channel for a readers boat article and he has agreed!!!

I have made some progress tonight and will write it up in a few minutes.

[baasboat1]

He / they sure is / are. He gets confused, poor old thing

I am just as confused as the other one! Yes, we are one and the same, sorry to confuse long story.


It's ashame you're in Wales, I'd pop over and have a look..

Do you take your alterego everywhere you go???

[markanddawn]

Firstly, a sincere thanks to all advisors, you are all correct!

I first thought it was the shift assist switch as shorting it out stalled the engine but had no effect when manually pushed. Soaked in WD40 and it seems to be making a difference (albeit intermitent).

Throttle is unlikely to be affecting the shift, I I have eliminated this - for now.

Now remember I had trouble going from forward to neutral, reverse was easier. After studying a youtube guidance video and printing off all your advice, I have made a vast improvement.

Removed cotter pin and turned the barrel a few turns, retried several times until a rough balance achieved between F & R shift. This was very annoying and slow but I finally have a situation where it drops into neutral from Forward every time with ease BUT reverse is like forward was. Given that I do go forwards more, that'll do until I can fine tune as per Baasboat's instructions. (see picture).

Barrel Nut

Next issue is my prop. I can access the channel at all states of the tide but despite being smack in the middle of the channel markers, I caught the bottom. When I got into the marina, they said "oh yes, the dredgers start tomorrow." This has caused some vibration and the slower the worse it gets.

Question: Can a prop be changed on its mooring (deep water mooring)? have no idea what size/pitch it is but gives me 40mph at WOT and I would like at least this again. Luckily it is a standard aluminium prop.

Question: Are SS props all they are cracked up to be, performance wise? and what size do you recommend. I know it is a dark science but any advice very welcome.

Many thanks.