I just bought a 1987 25' wellcraft w/a with a brand new 350 chev and a recoditioned alpha I outdrive. The fellow i bought the boat from installed a new lower shift cable from the unit to the shift plate. The boat in on a trailer, when i shift the drive into forward or into reverse the shift interupt fork does not move at all. Doesn't even flicker.The switch cuts the engine if i push the button in or move the fork with my hand but when i shift the remote lever the fork does not move. When i took a seatrial on the boat i noticed the switch was not working. i think it only interupted the engine twice. And never worked again. When i took the cable apart to see if there was something amiss i found the guide tube that inserts into the cable sheath was capable of being pulled out after removing the plastic cable end. Upon reading a book on adjusting the cable it stated to shift into forward gear place lner guide tube on the core wire and measure the cable sticking out of the sheath, cut to 1 3/8 " pull liner guide tube to 1/2 inch of core wire sticking out and crimp tube to core wire. reassemble and make adjustments. The guide tube is not crimped to the core wire.Should it be? Or left to float on the core wire. Is this what causes the switch fork to move up and down? If not what does? The cable must have to bottom out someplace to put force on the plate to pivot. Merc has the switch interupt plate mounted on the inside of the starboard riser. Other than that i have adjusted the cable pretty close to perfect. It seems to shift in and out of gears OK I just am nervouse about the loud gear clunk it makes when shifting it out of the water on the trailer. Will this damage the drive? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Wet Keels
Wet Keels