Only will engage in reverse after dewinterizing.

cristyk

We had a company here dewinterize our boat and we went to take our boat out for our first trip of the season only to find out that our boat would only engage in reverse (with the exception of 2 times that allowed us to get back to our dock).  Any ideas?   Never happened before.  

skennelly

Something with the shift cables maybe?

LaRea

The shift cable is broken or detached.  Somebody will chime in with details, but I'm pretty sure the boat has to come out of the water.  

cristyk

Are those inside the engine compartment or on the outside of the boat?

Grahamu

Sounds like a shift cable adjustment is needed, if it went into reverse and forward occasionally the drive connection is ok

YYZRC

Mercury or Volvo?

Merc has two shift cables. One from helm to a shift plate and then from shift plate to the outdrive. You will have to determine which is causing the issue. 

IIRC, Volvo has the shift cable going all the way from helm to the outdrive. 

cristyk

Whe we tried to put it in drive it stayed In reverse.  It did not drop to neutral.  ( in case that clarification needed to be made).  

cristyk

It is a Mercury.  Would that be something that could’ve been damaged during the dewinterizing process?  

YYZRC

That makes it easier. You can disconnect the shift cable at the plate and have someone shift at the helm while watching to see if it’s working properly. It’s not good to shift a Merc when not running so disconnecting the cable first is a good idea. 

skennelly

It's odd that they would disrupt the shift cables while winterizing...but who knows.

Aqua_Aura

I can't remember who but I thought I saw a posting on here from a member of one of the cable clamps or clips coming off in the engine bay and causing a shifting issue. 

PickleRick

I didn't see if it was an alpha or a bravo.  If it's s bravo it could be a shifter clutch issue if the cables are adjusted and moving properly.

212rowboat

skennelly said:

It's odd that they would disrupt the shift cables while winterizing...but who knows.

when you're in trailer/tow mode, above operational trim, you should be in forward gear.  you can get by with it more often than you can't, but, you're putting the stretch on those cables when you don't.  

when adjusting the cables, done atop the engine, when it says 7 and 1/8th inch, that is what it means... not a sixteenth more or less... tip: when you remove the shifting cable from that bracket, grip the plastic sleeve and the cables eye, and pull it steady but firmly.  Make sure it's at it's limit when you spin those barrels to the proper length... 

if it was shifted a couple times at full up trim (trailer mode) it would have stretched it that sixteenth of an inch, and..... no shifty shift... but the fact it locks in one position and not the other indicates this is what happened.   

don't shift it nor raise it that high out of FORWARD gear no mo!