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I started to have an issue with my drive not engaging properly last season. It started as a minor problem in the middle of the season and then slowly progressed. At the end of the season when I was hauling the boat out I had to give it a considerable amount of gas before it would engage and even then it would really “slam” into gear. I had a similar issue about three seasons ago. That time the mechanic recommended replacing the clutch cone which ended up costing allot.

I found out from posting this issue previously that it may have to do with the shift cable. Last weekend I tried to recreate the problem out of the water, on muffs, with the drive cover removed. It worked fine: It shifted from forward to reverse to neutral several times without “slamming”. The cable was a little stiff, but it rotated the outdrive linkage 45 degrees in either direction. Is 45 degrees the appropriate amount? Should it be rotating more? If so, It does not appear as though I have much more adjustment room on the drive end of the cable to make that happen.

I have not checked the gear lube level yet. I changed it prior to last season. I plan on changing it again before launching this season.

Any other thoughts on what might be causing this?

My fear is that I end up taking it to a mechanic and they are unable to recreate the problem much like I tried last weekend.

1999 Four Winns 190 Horizon
Engine: Volvo Penta 4.3GL
Drive: Volvo Penta SX

When the changed the clutch, did they also change the actuator, which also wears?

Before worrying about that ,with the shifter in neutral, the pin of the cube nut at the drive end of the shift cable should be central in the shift lever hole. The locknut can be removed if needs be to get more adjustment (it was deleted on later ones anyhow). Also, around 1998/9 there was a VP mod to the external shift linkages to take up clearances; it involved adding extra washers as "shims" to improve shift quality. It could be a combination of linkage slop and the cable; I changed my shift cable this year, the difference in shifter "weight" and shift quality is like night and day.

Graham

Graham, thanks for the response

Update: I changed the gear lube and launched last weekend and launched the boat. It did the same thing it was doing late last season (ie. slamming into gear). Although it had no problems shifting into reverse.

I am thinking that this is probably due to a faulty/worn out shift cable. I called around to several mechanics in the area and most could not look at it for a few weeks. I found the proper length shift cable at a local VP parts store and I am going to pick it up this afternoon.

My question is: How hard is it to replace the shift cable? Does the drive need to be removed from the transom in order to replace?

Take off the back cover of the drive and remove the cotter pin and the linkage part off the threaded part of the cable along with the lock nut. There is also a bolt with a plate that holds the cable in place that has to be loosend before pulling the cable out. #22 in the following picture


Put some dishwashing liquid in the hose to make the new cable slip through easier.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

It's quite easy; I did mine last winter; taping the new cable to the old and pulling it through made it easier than trying to route it through the transom/ boat from scratch.

Graham

I gave in and towed it to a mechanic yesterday. He seemed fairly confident that it was shift cable a well. He said that he replaces several a season.

So I hope you are getting your money back for the clutch replacement, which wasnt necessary!!

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Update #2:

Got the boat back from the mechanic yesterday. Shift cable replaced

Put it in the water........ it does the exact same thing, no change. It only goes in reverse

Hauled it back out of the water

I did some troubleshooting on it yesterday. On the trailer, engine running in neutral with muffs, I disengaged the shift linkage from the shift arm. When I turn the shift arm into reverse it makes a quiet "thud" noise and the prop starts spinning. When I turn the shift arm into forward it does not make the noise and the prop starts spinning. This is what it had been doing before, but this time I took a long cardboard box and held it against the prop (thus recreating the resistance of the water). As I suspected, this little bit of resistance kept the prop from spinning

It looks as though the problem is internal to the drive and most likely the shift cone again. Any ideas on a cause? The new shift cable fully moves the shift arm in both directions. I replaced the aluminum prop with a steel prop several years ago and do allot of skiing and wakeboarding. Could either of those issues be overstressing the drive?

I am trying to decide between repairing again or replacing the entire drive.

The fact it only affects forward gear selection , independent of the shift cable tends to implicate the actuator, the bit inside the outdrive; the cone clutch operates for both F + R. VP did introduce an upgrade, I can't remember exactly when I'm afraid.

Graham