www.iFourWinns.com

Ok I have just bought this boat a few weeks ago it needed some points and roter to. Get it to run so I got all that put on and cranked it it started so I put new plugs and oil in it hook it up to the. Water hose it run but I had to adjust the points on it not real sure that they are perfect but they are close put it in gear just fine back to nutral just fine and reverce just fine when I bought the boat it had no prop so. I called around and they are saying use a 14 1/2 x 17 I have a prop that I put on it just for a test run it is a 15 x 19 so I took it for a test run today and in the water from forward to revese you have to man handle it and the same goes from revese to forward and can not get it into nutral with out killing the motor but from nutral to gear is a piese of cake and. It is only hard to shift when it is in the water the boat is a 1987 sundowner 4.3 v 6 175 alpha1 any idea would help a lot thanks

Well the Alpha and Cobra are both dog clutch drives and in order for them to shift right on the water the lower shift cable has to be in good shape and adjusted properly. In addition...both have a shift assist system that allows the clutch dogs to release when under load (such as the force of water against the prop); basically what happens is when you attempt to shift to neutral, the engine idle speed is lowered below normal momentarily to allow the shift dogs to release. If this system does not work, or the idle speed is set too high, you will have troubles shifting to neutral from either gear...
I'd start with a full tune up...make sure your point gap/dwell is set right, then set your timing...then idle speed (make sure it's not too high). After that test it on the water...you should actually feel the idle speed drop as you try to shift to neutral...if not...get it to a good mechanic because continuing to use it that way is dangerous (in a boat being able to shift from fwd to neutral and/or reverse is your brakes) and you may also damage the shift linkage on the drive trying to force it...
I had this same problem with my OMC Cobra and took it to a good shop around here and they got it shifting great....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II