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alpha 1 outdrives staying in gear...help!!!!!!

S

searay27

New member
Ok, I really hope someone can guide me in the right direction and this is an easy fix. I have a 1987 27' sport fisherman with I/o mercruiser twin 260 with alpha 1 outdrives.(electronic shift) here is the issue. I go into forward with both and put in neutral and it stays in forward. No neutral. It does the same thing in reverse. Basically I can't go from forward to reverse Ir vice versa. Unless I cut off the enginses turn back on and put it in the other gear. Sometimes it works great. Goes forward to reverse and vice versa without issues. Then sometimes I go from forward to reverse and the engine stalls. I'm very frustrated and need some insight, wondering if it's electric or mechanical any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
 
not familiar with electronic shift systems on alpha drives? Do you mean the electric shift system ,can you explain it better.
the shift interupter may not be working properly
 
Sorry, yes electric shift. I pulled the covers off and looked at the mechanism inside and if I have someone move from forward to reverse the assembly stays there and doesn't go to reverse. If I shake the assembly A little the it kicks in and goes to reverse. With the engine off the assembly moves back and forth smoothly. Could it possibly be that it is not getting enough power,? Another thing that may be a seoatlrate issue is that the port side is making a grinding noise then kicking into reverse
 
You do not have an electric shift anything


WHat you have is what millions of other boaters have. The mercruiser shift system.

There is a bracket, on this bracket are two cables and a large V notched spring loaded mechanism and a micro switch (the only electrical part)

One cable comes from the shift control (the mechanical shift device that you use your hand to shift next to your seat). The other cable is called the short shift cable and goes from the bracket thru the transom and into the outdrive.

WHen shifting out of gear only and not into gear on all alpha outdrive powered mercruisers due to forces on the gears and clutch dog it is almost impossible to get the clutch dog to seperate from either forward or reverse gears.

In order to accomplish this mercruiser uses a micro switch that when activated it shorts the ignition system to ground (basically shutting it off) for a split second. In this short period of time the clutch dog will seperate from the gear.

WHat happens is as resistance increases on the short shift cable it makes the V notch move (direction depends on whether you are shifting out of forward or reverse) and when the V notch moves it activates the micro switch causing the ignition to short to ground. If done to slowly one could stall the motor.


If it will not come out of gear most likley it is the micro switch and if not the switch then maybe a cable adjustment.


To test the micro switch simply start the motor (in water or on water muffs) and activate the switch by hand. If the motor stalls it works. if it does not then the micro switch is defective.......
 
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kghost, there was an electric shift mechanism for mercruiser at one time, very similiar to the omc electric shift. The system was mounted on the transom and has a wire harness to the control box for F N R. What we need are some pics using photobucket.com to be positive of what system you have.
UntitledE_zps051e4084.jpg
 
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Yes, that is the exact on that I have, one for each outdrive mounted on the transom. Wondering if the shift actuator has anything to do with the issue, I will post pics this weekend when I go to the boat
 
Who new....lol...I have never seen this....talk about another device to fail...
You learn something new all the time....I have never even seen mention of this in any manual I have read thru....
 
I think more were used on houseboats because of the long cable runs. when it worked, it worked well. when it didn't, what a nightmare .
Everything has to be perfect for it to work correctly.
Everything is in manual #2 ,can burn a copy if you need it. Can view and print pages here http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html
 
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Bt Doctur said:
I think more were used on houseboats because of the long cable runs. when it worked, it worked well. when it didn't, what a nightmare .
Everything has to be perfect for it to work correctly.
Everything is in manual #2 ,can burn a copy if you need it. Can view and print pages here http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html
Click to expand...

I have the manuals..........If it is in manual 2 then that is why......I rarely work on stuff that old and I did not get into boat repair until 1990 so manual 2 was not used for much.......nor did we have any large boats with that set up. Small to medium boats in fresh water only......
 
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