Mercury Shift adjustment - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Repairs/Mods
  Mercury Shift adjustment

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Mercury Shift adjustment

Anjin posted 09-16-2009 12:08 AM ET (US)
I would appreciate some suggestions/instructions on adjusting the shift linkage on a 2005 Mercury 90 hp Saltwater 2 stroke. It idles at about 900 RPM. It shifts fine going forward but grinds everytime going into reverse. The cables are the good Mercury cables and have low hours so maybe they have broken in since last adjustment.
I figure I am going to have eo adjust the barrel on the shift cable. I was hoping that information I could get here would help me get the adjustment right the first time.
am I correct in assuming that if it grinds going in to forward the barrle has to be adjusted in one direction and if it grinds going into reverse the barrel has to be adjusted the other way?
So if it grinds going into reverse should the barrel be adjusted so it goes fore or aft on the threaded shift rod? How many turns do you all suggest?
Thanks.
high sierra posted 09-16-2009 12:34 AM ET (US)
Anjin, take off the cable end on the motor. Put the shift arm on the motor in the neutral position. without moving the shift arm , adjust the cable end to fit the neutral position of the arm. Make sure your control binnacle is in neutral to start with. high sierra
Clark Roberts posted 09-16-2009 07:09 AM ET (US)
Anjin, your motor idles on timing only! Once the carb cam/roller is set correctly (not quite touching) then idle speed is adjusted via screw adjustment to the timing located on the timing arm! Check it out and Happy Whalin'... Clark... Spruce Creek Navy
predator 17 posted 09-17-2009 02:45 PM ET (US)
Angin Mercury says to remove the shift cable from the linkage. Put the controll in fwd. Mark the end of the barrel with a pencil. Move the shifter to reverse, and mark the same way. The center of these two marks is where neutral should be... Shifting the way it is will damage the lower unit. Really only accurate way to do it as this compensates for slack in the cable...hope it helps..
L H G posted 09-17-2009 03:44 PM ET (US)
I just rigged up a pair of these. The instructions are to use a slight pre-load of the shift cable toward reverse. In your case, that would mean increasing the spacing between the shift connection and the barrel.
Anjin posted 09-19-2009 02:01 AM ET (US)
Thanks for the replies. This is the type of info I was hoping to get. I have a few more questions to be sure I understand it.
Clark Roberts: "your motor idles on timing only!"
Yes I read that in the service manual but my knowledge originates with cars. On my old VWs if you change the timing by rotating the distributor the car will run badly or not at all. That is why I haven't adjusted the idle timing screw. I thought it might affect the outboard the way rotating the distributor affects a VW. But it won't affect it that way correct?
The motor is idling at 900 RPMs and the manual says Carburetor idle speed should be 675 plus or minus 25 RPMs. So it is definitely idling high.
Is it okay to adjust the idle down to 700 RPMs with the idle timing screw?
LHG:
My Mercury service manual says: "slide shift actuator toward rear of engine until resistance is felt" Is that "resistance" what you mean by preload? By "shift connection" do you mean where the "cable end" connects to the "shift actuator"? Therefore to increase the space the barrel is adjusted toward the front of the engine. Correct?
When the service manual discusses checking shift cable adjustment it mentions a "cable end guide" but the diagrams do not show a "cable end guide". Is the "cable end guide" the same as the "mounting stud" on the "shift actuator"?
Is it correct that if the idle is set too high then the barrel adjustments will not eliminate the grinding?
Thanks to everybody again for helping me understand how this works.

number9 posted 09-19-2009 06:36 PM ET (US)
One of my similar hp but 4-stroke Merc SM puts it simple terms. In forward or reverse the prop shaft should be locked in gear, if not cable adjustment is required. After each fwd/rev adjustment is made check in neutral, prop shaft should rotate freely with out drag, if not adjust cable and repeat fwd/neu/rev/neu steps.
Most references to OB idle speeds are for in gear with lower unit in water.
Anjin posted 09-22-2009 08:59 PM ET (US)
Thanks everybody for the info. After reading your replies and the service manual I realized there was no way to avoid the adjust/test/readjust tweaking-in method. I also realized that to do it right you have to have a test tank; So I found one: a 42"x42"x24" heavy plastic tank; It's big enough to run a 90 hp in it and to shift in forward and reverse for the tweaking-in process.
I synchronized it according to the service manual and was able to get the right 650-700 RPM idle adjustment in forward gear. Then after 2 or 3 tries I got the shift cable adjusted so there was no grind and the throttle cable adjusted so that a "thin sheet of paper wouldn't tear."
Can't wait to try it out. Thanks again.

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Mercury Shift adjustment
Anjin	posted 09-16-2009 12:08 AM ET (US) I would appreciate some suggestions/instructions on adjusting the shift linkage on a 2005 Mercury 90 hp Saltwater 2 stroke. It idles at about 900 RPM. It shifts fine going forward but grinds everytime going into reverse. The cables are the good Mercury cables and have low hours so maybe they have broken in since last adjustment. I figure I am going to have eo adjust the barrel on the shift cable. I was hoping that information I could get here would help me get the adjustment right the first time. am I correct in assuming that if it grinds going in to forward the barrle has to be adjusted in one direction and if it grinds going into reverse the barrel has to be adjusted the other way? So if it grinds going into reverse should the barrel be adjusted so it goes fore or aft on the threaded shift rod? How many turns do you all suggest? Thanks.
high sierra	posted 09-16-2009 12:34 AM ET (US) Anjin, take off the cable end on the motor. Put the shift arm on the motor in the neutral position. without moving the shift arm , adjust the cable end to fit the neutral position of the arm. Make sure your control binnacle is in neutral to start with. high sierra
Clark Roberts	posted 09-16-2009 07:09 AM ET (US) Anjin, your motor idles on timing only! Once the carb cam/roller is set correctly (not quite touching) then idle speed is adjusted via screw adjustment to the timing located on the timing arm! Check it out and Happy Whalin'... Clark... Spruce Creek Navy
predator 17	posted 09-17-2009 02:45 PM ET (US) Angin Mercury says to remove the shift cable from the linkage. Put the controll in fwd. Mark the end of the barrel with a pencil. Move the shifter to reverse, and mark the same way. The center of these two marks is where neutral should be... Shifting the way it is will damage the lower unit. Really only accurate way to do it as this compensates for slack in the cable...hope it helps..
L H G	posted 09-17-2009 03:44 PM ET (US) I just rigged up a pair of these. The instructions are to use a slight pre-load of the shift cable toward reverse. In your case, that would mean increasing the spacing between the shift connection and the barrel.
Anjin	posted 09-19-2009 02:01 AM ET (US) Thanks for the replies. This is the type of info I was hoping to get. I have a few more questions to be sure I understand it. Clark Roberts: "your motor idles on timing only!" Yes I read that in the service manual but my knowledge originates with cars. On my old VWs if you change the timing by rotating the distributor the car will run badly or not at all. That is why I haven't adjusted the idle timing screw. I thought it might affect the outboard the way rotating the distributor affects a VW. But it won't affect it that way correct? The motor is idling at 900 RPMs and the manual says Carburetor idle speed should be 675 plus or minus 25 RPMs. So it is definitely idling high. Is it okay to adjust the idle down to 700 RPMs with the idle timing screw? LHG: My Mercury service manual says: "slide shift actuator toward rear of engine until resistance is felt" Is that "resistance" what you mean by preload? By "shift connection" do you mean where the "cable end" connects to the "shift actuator"? Therefore to increase the space the barrel is adjusted toward the front of the engine. Correct? When the service manual discusses checking shift cable adjustment it mentions a "cable end guide" but the diagrams do not show a "cable end guide". Is the "cable end guide" the same as the "mounting stud" on the "shift actuator"? Is it correct that if the idle is set too high then the barrel adjustments will not eliminate the grinding? Thanks to everybody again for helping me understand how this works.
number9	posted 09-19-2009 06:36 PM ET (US) One of my similar hp but 4-stroke Merc SM puts it simple terms. In forward or reverse the prop shaft should be locked in gear, if not cable adjustment is required. After each fwd/rev adjustment is made check in neutral, prop shaft should rotate freely with out drag, if not adjust cable and repeat fwd/neu/rev/neu steps. Most references to OB idle speeds are for in gear with lower unit in water.
Anjin	posted 09-22-2009 08:59 PM ET (US) Thanks everybody for the info. After reading your replies and the service manual I realized there was no way to avoid the adjust/test/readjust tweaking-in method. I also realized that to do it right you have to have a test tank; So I found one: a 42"x42"x24" heavy plastic tank; It's big enough to run a 90 hp in it and to shift in forward and reverse for the tweaking-in process. I synchronized it according to the service manual and was able to get the right 650-700 RPM idle adjustment in forward gear. Then after 2 or 3 tries I got the shift cable adjusted so there was no grind and the throttle cable adjusted so that a "thin sheet of paper wouldn't tear." Can't wait to try it out. Thanks again.