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88 OMC 350 Stalls Shifting into Gear under Load

codude

New member
I have an 88 OMC 350 that stalls when attempting to shift from Neutral to Forward or Reverse under load. It's not just that it stumbles and sometimes stalls. It is consistently impossible to get the boat in gear, no matter how fast or "decisively" you shift before it just dies. So far, I have:

- Had the carb rebuilt
- Installed new plugs & wires
- Replaced cap and rotor
- Replaced ignition coil
- Set dwell, set timing

No change. It runs and idles fine on muffs, around 700.


I thought maybe the ESA system was the culprit, so I tested that. The ESA bracket has both a shift interrupt microswitch (with the lever) and an overstroke microswitch - but the overstroke switch wires are snipped at the switch. I'm not sure if it came from the factory this way, or if the previous owner disabled the overstroke. (In any case, it used to run fine without it, so I'll assume it's not necessary.)


I've tested the interrupt on muffs in the driveway, and it never engages the switch despite being centered in the V (ow W). I understand that this is normal and that the tension on the shift cable when the prop is under load/in the water WILL engage the switch, but I don't have water conveniently located to drop the boat in and test right now. I've also tested the interrupt switch with a multimeter, and it is open normally but closes when the switch is engaged, so it seems to be operating correctly. Is there a chance that the ESA module itself could be faulty, or is this unlikely since the engine runs fine when not in gear and under load?


My thinking has shifted to the transom shift cable, so I've pulled that out and am waiting for a new cable and bellows to arrive. Since the interrupt lever centered perfectly with the old cable, though, I don't know if I'm headed down the wrong path.


Any advice? Is there any real way to test the ESA module itself? Is it possible that the shift cable is causing the stalling when attempting to shift into gear? I'm running out of patience with this boat...
 
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