Wont stay running in gear

"I am a novice boater and rece

"I am a novice boater and recently purchased a 1985 century 19 ft. cuddy with a 3.7L 4 cylinder. The engine runs great, however it is near impossible to put it into drive and keep the engine running. It starts up great and I allow it to idle for about 5 minutes or so. After returning to neutral and placing the engine in gear it seems to quit. However if I place the engine in reverse it runs fine. I had a marina look at it and they said everything was fine, i really dont want to spend hundreds on another marina. Any ideas what the problem could be?"

Might be time for a new shift

Might be time for a new shift cable.

"Why would the shift cable int

"Why would the shift cable interfere with the boat running when you put it in drive, it will run if you slam it into drive with the rpms still up"

"If it's an Alpha drive le

"If it's an Alpha drive leg there is a shift interrupt switch in the shift mechanism that momentarily kills your spark when you shift out of either forward or reverse.
The bracket is likely mounted on your exhaust manifold and has cables running to it. Look in the middle area for a microswitch that has a lever with a roller on the end. The roller should normally be in the center V notch.
Start the engine and shift it into gear. When it quits check the switch roller. If not centered, that's your problem.
You either need to adjust the shift linkage or have the lower shift cable replaced. It may be stiff and this will cause the above problem.
Rod"

"Wayne;
Here is a pic of the

"Wayne;
Here is a pic of the interrupt switch. Note the roller right about center of the pic, and the V notch it normally sits in.
Rod

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