Who has replaced the lower shift cable on a Merc stern drive?

[Old Man In The Sea Ray]

Greetings,
I'm looking for anyone who has actually replaced a lower shift cable. I'm ready to replace mine. Having searched Utube, I feel confident that I can do the job myself. Am I oversimplifying? Any advice is welcome.
Russ

edit: Down here (Florida) mechanics seem to avoid I/O's like the plague.

 

[Nater Potater]

Not on a Bravo, but on my Alpha Gen 2. From what I can tell, they're very similar. Youtube is your friend. Something that can be done to make the job easier:

1) Once the inner cable is pulled out of the cable housing, run a long piece of baling wire up through the housing, and tie it off near where the shift plate is on the engine. Leave enough out the back of the gimbal housing to more than accommodate the length of the new cable housing.
2) Pull the old cable housing out and all the way off the end of the baling wire.
3) Snake the baling wire into the new housing until the wire protrudes out the end of the housing.
4) While pulling on the end of the baling wire, feed the new housing back into the boat.

What this does is make the routing around the inner transom parts (exhaust, engine mount) a whole bunch easier. Be sure to follow the other steps for normal shaft cable replacement. And, while you're at it, take a serious look at the bellows. Now'd be the time to R&R those buggers.

 

[Old Man In The Sea Ray]

Not on a Bravo, but on my Alpha Gen 2. From what I can tell, they're very similar. Youtube is your friend. Something that can be done to make the job easier:

1) Once the inner cable is pulled out of the cable housing, run a long piece of baling wire up through the housing, and tie it off near where the shift plate is on the engine. Leave enough out the back of the gimbal housing to more than accommodate the length of the new cable housing.
2) Pull the old cable housing out and all the way off the end of the baling wire.
3) Snake the baling wire into the new housing until the wire protrudes out the end of the housing.
4) While pulling on the end of the baling wire, feed the new housing back into the boat.

What this does is make the routing around the inner transom parts (exhaust, engine mount) a whole bunch easier. Be sure to follow the other steps for normal shaft cable replacement. And, while you're at it, take a serious look at the bellows. Now'd be the time to R&R those buggers.

Thanks Nater Potater (I won't ask),

Do I need the "special shift cable tool? Looks like a deep well socket to me.
Is this the time to consider MercCruiser Bravo Transom Bellows Repair Reseal Kit with Gimbal Bearing? The boats very low hours but 18 years old.
Any other tips?
Thanks,
Russ

 

[Pirate Lady]

While in there replace them all. Shift cable, gimbal bearing, bellows.
Tip - use the ‘sport’ bellows. Much easier install than the accordion bellows and if you get the kit both bellow types come in the kit.

 

[Old Man In The Sea Ray]

While in there replace them all. Shift cable, gimbal bearing, bellows.
Tip - use the ‘sport’ bellows. Much easier install than the accordion bellows and if you get the kit both bellow types come in the kit.

Sport bellows? Can you provide more info?
Thanks

 

[dvx216]

Do yourself a favor and tie a cord on to the end of the old one in the boat. When you put it out it will help route to new cable in properly.

 

[El Capitan]

Greetings,
I'm looking for anyone who has actually replaced a lower shift cable. I'm ready to replace mine. Having searched Utube, I feel confident that I can do the job myself. Am I oversimplifying? Any advice is welcome.
Russ

edit: Down here (Florida) mechanics seem to avoid I/O's like the plague.

You ain’t kidding. Same on east coast Florida. One certified Mercruiser place in my city.

 

[scoflaw]

deep 7/16" does the trick. The barrel on the threaded shaft is usually spot on for adjustment

 

[Pirate Lady]

Sport bellows? Can you provide more info?
Thanks

Google “bravo 1 sport bellows “ you will find more than I can post here.
But basically. Regular old style bellows are like an accordion that attach to transom and outdrive. Flexing over the years causes bellows to crack.
Sport bellows attach to transom only then when you lower the outdrive it compresses against it.
I was concerned about creatures swimming into my engine when outdrive up, mechanics assured me it’s not a problem. I could go on for pages but look into it.
The only downside I was told is when at dock with od up it is louder because exhaust is direct to water, not thru od. I like it. How much time you spend at dock idling with outdrive up.

 

[Nater Potater]

Sport bellows attach to transom only then when you lower the outdrive it compresses against it.

Exhaust bellows only. The gimbal and shift bellows have to remain the same to keep water out of the bearings and cable. However, it's the exhaust bellows that's arguably the worst of the three to install, so the sports "bellows" is the way to go.
Remember back where I talked about using baling wire to help feed the new cable in? Well, this guy used weed-wacker string. I like that even better! And, if you pause at 50 seconds, you can see how he has the shift cable bellows already strung onto the new cable, making it much easier to install on the transom plate. I did mine with the bellhousing in place, but that's how I'll do it next time the bellows need to be replaced.
If you're pulling the bellhousing, get one of these tools. Please, do not try to use a big Allen wrench! You'll strip the pivot shafts. Assuming you go this route, you'll need to replace all three bellows. IIRC, Merc recommends replacing them every 3 to 5 years. 'Seems a little excessive, but, as long as you keep an eye on yours, you can probably run that out longer.

 

[Pirate Lady]

Exhaust bellows only. The gimbal and shift bellows have to remain the same to keep water out of the bearings and cable. However, it's the exhaust bellows that's arguably the worst of the three to install, so the sports "bellows" is the way to go.
Remember back where I talked about using baling wire to help feed the new cable in? Well, this guy used weed-wacker string. I like that even better! And, if you pause at 50 seconds, you can see how he has the shift cable bellows already strung onto the new cable, making it much easier to install on the transom plate. I did mine with the bellhousing in place, but that's how I'll do it next time the bellows need to be replaced.
If you're pulling the bellhousing, get one of these tools. Please, do not try to use a big Allen wrench! You'll strip the pivot shafts. Assuming you go this route, you'll need to replace all three bellows. IIRC, Merc recommends replacing them every 3 to 5 years. 'Seems a little excessive, but, as long as you keep an eye on yours, you can probably run that out longer.

Thanks Potato Man, you explained the reason they are going to the sport bellows better than me.

 

[JHornsby3]

I like the baling wire approach. That weed wacker line is almost too flexible and you have a bunch of different sizes that all seem to not fit in the core. I used the ground wire out of some Romex. Anybody need some weed wacker line? When you pull the old sheathing off, make sure to look at it good. Two of the three I have in the driveway had the sheathing being rubbed real bad. Someone before you might have run it wrong.

 

[Old Man In The Sea Ray]

deep 7/16" does the trick. The barrel on the threaded shaft is usually spot on for adjustment

Thank you sir.

 

[Nater Potater]

When you pull the old sheathing off, make sure to look at it good. Two of the three I have in the driveway had the sheathing being rubbed real bad. Someone before you might have run it wrong.

You bring up a good point that the last "mechanic" in there could have routed it wrong (because it was easier).

 

[JHornsby3]

Our runabout was bad and rubbing on the flywheel area. Burned the sheathing clean through and the shift cable wouldn't allow shifting into reverse after being in forward.

The port cable in the DA was rubbing on the exhaust and pulled so it was kinked. But it worked great. Just for how long, who knows.

 

[Old Man In The Sea Ray]

Well... first let me thank this forum in general. I belong to several "car guy" forums and I've never received such rapid responses. Thank you all.
Now to my curent situation. This is my first I/O. It's a 2003 with a Bravo 3 OD and a "snug" 496. I've watched countless youtube videos and have more than one Mercury service manual. Apparently there are various versions of Bravo 3 installations depending on the year... confusing. I'm about ready to order parts and wing it.
Here's my latest riddle: I understand the benefit of of snaking a "guide wire" in the old cable housing before removing it. However, short of mirrors and magic, I can't understand how one can get a new cable bellows between the bell housing and sterndrive when the wire is in place.
Is it me?
Russ

 

[JHornsby3]

Just back the wire off a little. It's very easy when you remove the gimbal ring. Or just pass the wire under it if leaving it on.

 

[Nater Potater]

However, short of mirrors and magic, I can't understand how one can get a new cable bellows between the bell housing and sterndrive when the wire is in place.
Is it me?
Russ

Fun stuff! If you're only replacing the cable without pulling the bellhousing and replacing the other bellows, then you'll need to pull the wire forward from inside the boat until it just clears the bellhousing. At that point, you can install the shift cable bellows and snake the wire back out. Trying to get the base of the cable bellows glued to the transom plate and the screw clamp snugged can be a real pain with the bellhousing in place. However, if the shift cable bellows is bad, you can bet they're all equally aged, and need to be replaced. Thus, the special tool for pulling the bellhousing pivot pins mentioned earlier. When replacing mine, I just bit the bullet and bought the whole bellows replacement kit, giving me a new gimbal bearing, all three bellows, and the gasket kit for re-attaching the outdrive to the bellhousing. Don't forget the special gimbal bearing puller, then the special gimbal bearing driver. At least with the gimbal driver, it doubles as an alignment tool, which we're supposed to check every time the outdrive is pulled. Yeah, it can be a real rabbit hole...
As for the name, no worries; check out Explain Your Username... Go

 

[JHornsby3]

Sorry, I meant the bellhousing not gimble ring.

The easiest I found was the tool set linked below. Made the job easy. When I first did the runabout, it took me almost a week. As in a week and a few days. When I did the DA, I was done in two days with both drives.

Boat Alpha Bravo Gimbal Bearing Installer Puller Omc Cobra Oxide Coati – Vevor US

Before I tried every trick posted to youtube. And I fought it every step of the way.

As for the cable bellows, I just ran the wire with the old sheathing. Then put the bellows on with the bell housing off. And then just ran the sheathing through the bellows with the wire guiding it. When I got to where the sheathing was close, I put the bellows to the bellhousing and finished up with the cable.