Shift Bellows replacement-gctid395043

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Has anybody replaced the shift cable bellows (without pulling drive) And how do you get plastic wrap off cable inside boat so cable will go through transom?

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over40pirate wrote:
Has anybody replaced the shift cable bellows (without pulling drive) And how do you get plastic wrap off cable inside boat so cable will go through transom?

Not only do you have to pull the drive, but you must remove the bell housing! The plastic wrap should just slid up the shift cable with a tug or two.

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Hi

You will need to pull the drive, but dependant on age you shouldn't need to remove the bellhousing.

You will need an extended 9/16th socket (shift cable removal tool).

The cable wrap isn't an issue just feel / look for it. Make sure you memorise the route the cable takes once inside the boat.

Plenty of vids on the tube.

http://www.mercstuff.com/shiftcablebellows.htm

http://www.sterndrives.com/supplies/mdtips02.html

http://www.sterndrives.com/replace_a...hiftcable.html

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over40pirate wrote:
Has anybody replaced the shift cable bellows (without pulling drive) And how do you get plastic wrap off cable inside boat so cable will go through transom?

If you are doing this on a Merc then it is possible to do it without pulling the drive. The mechanic at our marina tells customers he can do it without removing the drive in 8/10 boats. My son-in-law that also works at the marina and it takes two of them to do it, there is a way the cable gets twisted from inside to do it this way. When Sarah was getting work done on the shifter cable I asked at the marina, he said a factory trained mer technician knows how to do this trick. Sorry I can't help you with the process, I know if you do it wrong you can break the cable.

Ken

Here is a link to how it is done.

http://www.justanswer.com/boat/3lohb...alpha-one.html

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Caution, book aproaching!

I just did this job not long ago as part of a lower shift cable replacement.

It may not be possible to do with the bell housing on, depending on where the last guy did up the hose clamp. It`s supposed to be hereSee attachment no1), but it really could be anywhere.

This is what I would do:

1) Get a lower shift cable kit. The one I got was from Mallory and was like $85...deadly cheap and it comes with everyting you need, including a drive gasket set. then you are good for the next 10 years.

2) Pull drive

3) Pull lower shift cable from shift plate (inside boat). Remove the plastic end (2 small screws which clamp the cable), undo the jam nut and remove the threaded tube with jam nut, brass barell.

5) Go to the bell housing and pull the shift slide and the core...if reusing, place in a nice clean spot, if not, junk it, or keep it for parts; whatever. No need to remove the lock wire or hex key, just pull the whole thing out. see attach no2.

6) Remove the shift bellows hose clamp. As this is the part you are replacing, hack it off without damaging the cable outer if you are reusing the cable outer. otherwise no big deal.

7) To remove the cable housing (or outer) you will need to remove the bell housing nut. I made a tool by welding a 9/16 long socket to a 5/8 long socket to a 3/4 long socket. This gives you the depth you need for the cable extension past the bell housing nut. Or just spring for the tool. The nut is fixed to the cable. The cable must turn with the nut or the cable wil be scrap quite quickly. If you are reusing the cable you must unwrap it from the y pipe and get it as straight as possible. Then have a partner twist it inside while you undo the nut.

8) Pull the cable out of the bell housing. Or if reusing, pull it back to between the bell and the gimble housing.

9) Get out the lube and the heat gun. Remove the metal crimp from the new bellows. Heat the new bellows to soften it, and slide the new(reused) lubed up cable through it. It will take some patience. Don`t forget the new hose clamp. I`d get the cable all the way in and then do up the bellows clamps (hose and crimp). On my boat I was able to route the cable after installing it straight. you may have to route it in as you go on yours though.

10) Install the new core, shift slide, hex key and lock wire, or slide in the old one. Then go inside and install the threaded tube, barrell, jam nut etc: see attach no3

11) Adjust like this: see attachment 4

When done, have a buddy rotate the prop counter clockwise and shift into forward. It should click in before throttle is applied. Go clockwise and try reverse. Adjust the barrell until neutral is mid range.

You`re done!

Chay

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/699128=29180-Noname.jpg[/img] [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/699128=29181-Noname1.jpg[/img] [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/699128=29182-Noname2.jpg[/img] [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/699128=29183-Noname3.jpg[/img]

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One last thing: routing of the cable:

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/699133=29184-Noname4.jpg[/img]

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I replaced the shift bellows without taking off the drive. Disconnected the cable at motor going thru transom. Removed cable end and plastic exhaust protector. Cable slid right out of transom. Replaced everything and put it back. Took boat for water test and now the interrupter switch is shutting down motor forward or reverse. What could be wrong?

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If you kinked the cable ,or if it's not adjusted properly it will shut down. I just did mine this weekend, I don't understand how it can be changed without taking the drive off.

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Rickster wrote:
If you kinked the cable ,or if it's not adjusted properly it will shut down. I just did mine this weekend, I don't understand how it can be changed without taking the drive off.

Not kinked but more likely adjusted wrong. Must not have explained what I did well. Just replaced lower shift cable bellows. By disconnecting from motor and sliding it through transom then put new bellows on and putting all back together. What possibly could be off is adjustment. Hopefully previous post above will help me with adjustment back to start then go from there.

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In my experience it will not shut down if it's not adjusted properly. It will fail to engage in gear though. It is someting stopping the cable from shifting smootly.

Pull it off and see if it's excessively hard to slide in and out at any point in the slide.

Too sharp a bend (ie poor cable routing) will cause this in an otherwise good cable.

Chay

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cfoss wrote:
In my experience it will not shut down if it's not adjusted properly. It will fail to engage in gear though. It is someting stopping the cable from shifting smootly.

Pull it off and see if it's excessively hard to slide in and out at any point in the slide.

Too sharp a bend (ie poor cable routing) will cause this in an otherwise good cable.

Chay

Slides pretty good. After several hours in hot sun pulling boat in and out of water I think I need to get it back to some starting point and try adjusting again. Towards the end of trying that's how it was reacting (no gear)

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Hi

Set everything as per manual for a good starting point, with the boat out of the water put into gear and spin the prop it should stop one way and ratchet the other, feel and hear for the ratchet, now put into reverse and again feel and listen for the ratchet. They should be the same with neutral spinning freely.

If they aren't the same adjust the barrel on the shift cable either way until you have an even ratcheting in forward and reverse. That will sort it and you can't test the shift interrupt until the boat is on the water as you need the drag on the prop for it to work.

I did a video on the bellows change and i found that the new shift bellows had a different type of clip which is really easy to instal

Good luck.

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spike2450 wrote:
Hi

Set everything as per manual for a good starting point, with the boat out of the water put into gear and spin the prop it should stop one way and ratchet the other, feel and hear for the ratchet, now put into reverse and again feel and listen for the ratchet. They should be the same with neutral spinning freely.

If they aren't the same adjust the barrel on the shift cable either way until you have an even ratcheting in forward and reverse. That will sort it and you can't test the shift interrupt until the boat is on the water as you need the drag on the prop for it to work.

I did a video on the bellows change and i found that the new shift bellows had a different type of clip which is really easy to instal

Good luck.

Shifting into reverse the prop ratchets one way and stops the other. But putting it in forward it will only ratchet both ways. when I try to adjust shift cable threaded rod I run out of adjustment on the threaded rod. I am adjusting lower shift cable at motor. Are we talking about the same shift cable?

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That's the cable.

I don't like your description...sounds like a bad drive, but it could also be that the 'shift shoe' didn't engage properly when you put the drive on.

You can get under there and take a look. Trim the drive up fully. The drive has a 'foot' which slides into a u shaped bit on the boat side. When together properly, the lower shift cable slides and rotates a shaft in the bell housing, which rotates the u shaped bit, which rotates the foot on the drive which engages the dog clutches. It's easy to get the foot off to the side when you're trying to install the drive so that it will push on one side of the foot to engage on one side, but because it's not captured it will not pull the foot to the other side to engage the other direction.

Chay

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cfoss wrote:
That's the cable.

I don't like your description...sounds like a bad drive, but it could also be that the 'shift shoe' didn't engage properly when you put the drive on.

You can get under there and take a look. Trim the drive up fully. The drive has a 'foot' which slides into a u shaped bit on the boat side. When together properly, the lower shift cable slides and rotates a shaft in the bell housing, which rotates the u shaped bit, which rotates the foot on the drive which engages the dog clutches. It's easy to get the foot off to the side when you're trying to install the drive so that it will push on one side of the foot to engage on one side, but because it's not captured it will not pull the foot to the other side to engage the other direction.

Chay

The drive was working before I rebuilt carb and put new shift bellows on. Did not take drive off. If I disconnect the interrupt the drive will engage on trailer.