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volvo penta 280 outdrive help

J

jeff280

New member
I have a volvo penta 280 outdrive that will only switch gears if i go to the outdrive and take off the back panel and switch it with my hand otherwise it just stays in reverse. Now if i go to the throttle and gear shift assembly what ever its called i can move that back and forth but once it goes into reverse its like the cable doesnt work anymore and it doesnt switch gears anymore i think the cable is still good or why would it still move on the outdrive also i dont think there is a issue with my gears because if i manually switch it, it works what do you think the problems is because i have no clue and i am not that good at working on boats if you can give me any assistance i would really appreciate it thanks jeff.
 
Look to make sure that the cable clamping bracket, SEQ # 32, is in place.
Without this part, the cable jacket will travel in/out, and you won't get adequate cable action at the linkage unit.
IOW's, instead of the actual cable traveling, only the jacket will move.

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i checked sequence 32 and that part is still in place and one other thing i let my friend use it on the 4th of july and trhis is what i get in return but any way he said he was out in the water then it just got stuck in reverse he said that when he tried to switch gears it was really hard to pull back on the throttle so i dont know i am confused please more help
 
Jeff, always best to do a P of E..... (process of elimination)..... one item, one item ONLY at a time, as you either find or eliminate potential problems!

For you, I'd begin at the throttle/shift unit.
I'd see if the cable is attached correctly. This may mean pulling a panel loose. Just do it!

Next, would be seeing if the cable is moving correctly at the drive. Put some resistance on the cable as someone moves the shift unit.

If all good, you may want to see if the eccentric piston "Shift Shoe" has broken. This involves removing the shift mechanism!
Have new O-rings ready to go! (shift mech, dip stick, oil drain plug)

Also, how about more info?
What boat? What throttle/Shift unit? Single or Twin stations? Etc?
 
Rick i took apart the throttle/shift unit and the wire was connected properly. I will try and give you a little more info. When i start the boat it is stuck in reverse i can move the throttle/shift unit back and forth and it will not put it in forward if while i am running it i go to back on the outdrive and manually turn it to forward it will switch gears it is a lot harder though to put it in forward than switching to reverse. When i do put it in forward manually i cant move the throttle/shift unit back in reverse i can only push it forward its like neutral to forward works but then i cant move it to reverse but when i go back to the outdrive again and switch it to reverse then i can move the throttle/shift unit to the forward and reverse positions but it wont change it to forward i hope this makes sense how i am typing it if not i can give you my cell number so i can describe it to you over the phone thanks again Jeff.
 
1) You left out a VERY vital piece of information... history of the drive, i.e., is this a new problem? did it ever work while you owned it?

2) If you can successfully shift the transmission by disconnecting the shift linkage (what I call the rocker arm) and moving the shift arm CW and CCW ( roughly equal movements between F,N,R), then the problem is "north" of there... somewhere between the shift lever at the helm and the attachment point to the rocker arm.
 
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Bob, thanks for helping him.
I sort a threw the towel in after suggesting the P of E, of which he is either not willing to do, or is misunderstanding it.
I also suggested that more info would be helpful. I.E., What boat? What throttle/Shift unit? Single or Twin stations? Etc?
Sorry if I was not more clear!

This should be a very simple P of E..... but ya got to get your hands dirty!

.
 
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