Anyone ever have the shift lever come out of the clasp on the outdrive?

PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
Was trying to load the boat today.  Very little wind, almost no boat traffic.  It looks to be a very easy loading experience.  Right as I start making the u turn from loading dock to the boat I put it in reverse to straight up my stern.   It keeps going forward.   I had to use my bow thruster to clear the trailer and head back towards the dock.  Cut the engine and was slow enough for me to walk to the bow and gently stop the boat on the hand rail. 


Got home and inspected the cable, with engine running I have forward and neutral but no reverse

Pulled outdrive, usually a when you pull a bravo the shift fork comes out with your cable for easy reinstall.  It did not come out.  I was able to dig it out with long needle nose pliers while spinning the drive.   With it dangling on the cherry picker I shifted it between forward and reverse several times.   With the shift cable still detached inside the boat the cable moved easily.  Bent the hinge part of the clasp a bit to bite the cable end better and reinstall.  Restarted and now I have forward and reverse.  


The lake is down, over 10 ft.  Pulling up to the loading dock I raised my drive to the set max safe operating up position and backed in.  I had to do some tight maneuvering so I clocked the drive pretty well.  Never had to do that with this boat before. Dock is in less than 5 ft of water and some large rocks all around it and the ramp.

I'm thinking I pulled it out then.   I nearly crapped my pants when I was still charging forward and had no reverse to slow me down or help swing me straight onto the trailer.  


Admiral screaming at the trailer in the water "what's wrong".  

My boat doesn't turn off by key. You have to push a button to kill fuel flow to the injection pump.  Turning the key off makes this button not work.   Guess who turned the key off the moment I realized I had a run away motor 

Comments

  • captkevincaptkevin Member Posts: 277 ✭✭
    scary stuff. Glad it worked out.
    2004 232
    2021 Yamaha Fx svho
  • aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 9,073 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, I was at full throttle just coming out of idle. Got on plane and started to pull back the throttle on both and nothing was happening with my starboard RPM’s. I brought both levers back to idle and forward again then back to idle. RPM’s dropped but I now had no forward or reverse. I went into the engine bay and manually pushed the cable back towards the transom and felt it click in. I haven’t had an issue since and that was 3 seasons ago 🤷🏻‍♂️.
    2008 330EC
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Does anyone know how to replace the shifter linkage on the bravo 2 or 3? They should be identical. 
     

    If it's just removing the front cover on the drive and putting it in the new linkage with clasp I think I would be cheap insurance.   I don't want to do that again.  


  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,765 mod
    Happened to me the first day we owned the 370.  As you described -- I felt completely disoriented, like everything I knew was wrong.  Boat was going forward, so I added more reverse throttle, and it started going forward even faster.

    Mine happened because the seller's mechanic didn't tighten the clasp, so it was an easy fix.  
  • YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 5,142 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My boat doesn't turn off by key. You have to push a button to kill fuel flow to the injection pump.  Turning the key off makes this button not work.   Guess who turned the key off the moment I realized I had a run away motor 
    That is a horrifying arrangement. 


    2008 350 EC on Georgian Bay
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I really need to run a constant power to that switch. 
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I replaced my lower shift cable when I pulled the motor- so the cable that broke then was the upper shift? Sounds like lower as you descibe the cable end was broke off in the out drive...I think the challenge is fishing it back out- mine was with the motor out. You need, and probably have, the tool to set the right length for that cable end back into the out drive is important. Mine has not shifted right since....
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Luckily my cable end didn't break.  The little cylinder on the end of my lower shift cable was still in tact.  It had slipped out of the jaws of the shift linkage.   
  • Rich_Rich_ Member Posts: 177 ✭✭✭
    Makes me think of an old saying- “Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to crash into it”
    Rinker sold but still have other boats        Eastern LI, NY
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    And always pack spare underwear 
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I wonder how it could come out like that..was it shifting ok?
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It was until it decided to pop out lol.   Will test run it next weekend.  Once put together I had the admiral watch the prop shift between gears several times before I called it good. 
  • PickleRickPickleRick Member Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Been motoring on and off since yesterdayyesterday and no issues yet.  Cold front us moving in, stupid windy.   Hope Clemson gets killed by Wake tonight 
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    We will be in a dead freeze am....
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