Hard shifting into reverse

[Atalla]

Hey CSR crew. Took the boat out the other day for a quick overnight trip to distract my children from their screens. Port engine is shifting "tight" into reverse. It just started all of the sudden. Was fine a few days earlier, now requires real effort to shift into reverse. I know there are a handful of videos on adjusting a newly installed shifter cable but, since this isn't newly installed, I thought I'd ask here first to see if others had any hot tips.

Thanks.

Throwing in a winter boating in Seattle shot from for those that like that kind of stuff.

 

[370Dancer]

My 2 cents is if you haven't shifted for a while (month+) and the cable sleeve is starting to corrode, it will start out as tight, and then loosen up as you use it. I see you said a few days ago, so maybe this doesn't apply. Eventually it won't loosen up, and a cable replacement will be warranted. After 22 years, my Starboard is starting to act "tight" when I first use it, and then loosens up. But, as this is my 20th boat, I've been to this rodeo a time or two.....
When it's time, find out what the proper length is, and use the old cable to pull the new cable through the (hopefully) chase from the engine room to the helm or vice versa. Then, look at the adjustment threads. The biggest PITA is pulling the shifter assembly. 1 foot of slack cable times 2 times 10,000 boats adds up, so most manufacturers cut this pretty tight.
check the cable wherever you can feel it for splits in the casing. Usually in the bends
Finally, if it's when only going into reverse, then you may want to enlist someone to shift while you watch the shifter lever and see if it's trying to bind in one direction, but not the other.

 

[Atalla]

My 2 cents is if you haven't shifted for a while (month+) and the cable sleeve is starting to corrode, it will start out as tight, and then loosen up as you use it. I see you said a few days ago, so maybe this doesn't apply. Eventually it won't loosen up, and a cable replacement will be warranted. After 22 years, my Starboard is starting to act "tight" when I first use it, and then loosens up. But, as this is my 20th boat, I've been to this rodeo a time or two.....
When it's time, find out what the proper length is, and use the old cable to pull the new cable through the (hopefully) chase from the engine room to the helm or vice versa. Then, look at the adjustment threads. The biggest PITA is pulling the shifter assembly. 1 foot of slack cable times 2 times 10,000 boats adds up, so most manufacturers cut this pretty tight.
check the cable wherever you can feel it for splits in the casing. Usually in the bends

Thanks. It's not from lack of use. Have been out a couple times in the last month. And it was silky smooth every time.

I'll check the cable and take a look for any damage.

 

[370Dancer]

Thanks. It's not from lack of use. Have been out a couple times in the last month. And it was silky smooth every time.

I'll check the cable and take a look for any damage.

look again, I edited a couple of times while you were reading it, after re-reading the original post.
I would look at the bracket that holds the cable on the transmission too. Might just be loose.

 

[Atalla]

look again, I edited a couple of times while you were reading it, after re-reading the original post.
I would look at the bracket that holds the cable on the transmission too. Might just be loose.

That's a GREAT tip. Had my vacuflush guy on the boat, lying on top of my port engine, up near the tranny, installing a fully refabricated pump assembly on the holding tank due to a crack in the PVC (holding tank is the one thing on the boat I'm not even trying to learn how to do myself). He was banging around a lot and may have kicked something loose without realizing it. I hope to hell he didn't cause any permanent damage.

 

[Atalla]

Turns out it was the thin metal rod between the bracket @370Dancer mentioned and the transmission. It was bent...guessing the vacuflush guy leaned while working back there. the rod slides into a sleeve on the engine side and since the rod was bent, when being pushed more deeply into the sleeve shifting into reverse, there was resistance to the bent rod being forced into the straight sleeve. Shifting forward pulls the rod further out which is why there was no resistance to forward. It wasn't a deep bend, so fairly easy to straighten the rod by hand and get shifting back to normal.

I gotta remember to take pictures of all this stuff while I'm doing it for the forums.

 

[370Dancer]

Sometimes, we get to skate right through an issue. Glad that was it....