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Replace Your Bravo Shift Cable Assembly

It is important that have and refer to your factory Shop Manual when performing this job.
Follow all safety precautions and plan ahead.

A bad Bravo Shift Cable can eventually lead to clutch and gear failure.
Cables tend to wear over time and in some cases water will leak into
the cable causing difficulty in shifting.
Difficult shifting is dangerous and the boat should not be used until the cable is repaired.


SPECIAL TOOLS

Few special tools are required to replace the Bravo Shift Cable.
A basic socket and wrench set will be needed to remove and replace the cable.
Once the new cable is installed you will need a couple of special tools to
properly set and adjust the cable for exact shift operation.(See below)

PLANNING AHEAD

Think Safety! Disconnect the boats batteries. This is best done by
removing the negative battery cable(s) from the battery(s).
Fist make sure there are no gasoline fumes in the bilge. Fumes can explode.
Remove the propellers. This will lesson the chance of injury and make the drive lighter and,br> easier to handle.

It's Heavy! The drive will have to be removed to replace the cable.
Be prepared to safely handle the weight of the drive.
Use an adequate lift or have an extra person on hand to help.
Once it is unbolted and pulled away from the Bell Housing it will want to fall.
Many mechanics have injured their back trying to stop the fall.
Try to have the skeg already touching the ground to reduce the "drop".

Oil Will Leak. The Bravo drive has an oil passage between the Bell Housing and the drive.
Gear Lube will tend to drip out of this passage and make a mess.
We suggest that you remove and empty the Remote Oil Reservoir on the engine before removing the drive.

Tools. Have a good set of hand tools ready.
A set of Standard Deep 3/8" drive and Deep 1/4" drive Sockets will be required.
Other basic tools like pliers, channel lock pliers, needle nose pliers, screw drivers, hammer, scrapper and combination
wrenches will help the job move along.
Also have a bunch of clean rags and a can acetone to cleanup.

The Bravo Shift Cable must be set up BEFORE the drive is installed.
Two special tools are required for an exact adjustment.

91-17262 Anchor Tool $64.00 Click below to order this tool online.

91-17263 Locating Tool $38.00 Click below to order this tool online.

Do The Job Right. This repair is usually performed by a trained and experienced Mercruiser Tech.
If you are not prepared to complete a medium to difficult level job, have a certified tech complete the repair.

During this job, you need to watch for other items that might be in need for service and/or repair.
Money, time and aggravation can be reduced if you address all items needed.
For example, once the drive is removed you may find water in your Ujoint Bellows.
The leak will have to be located and repaired. water can also damage the Gimbal Bearing and
while the drive is off you should address all these problems.

Read through all of these tips and instructions before starting the repair.
Read through the entire service manual that pertains to this repair before starting the job.

ABOUT YOUR BRAVO SHIFT CABLE

The drive shift cable runs from the Drive Shift Plate (located on the engine) down
through the Gimbal Housing, out through the Shift Cable Bellows and fastens to the Bell Housing.

There is a length of protective spiral wrap on the cable where it passes close to the exhaust pipe behind the engine.
This spiral wrap protects the cable from melting against the hot exhaust pipe.

The aft end of the cable's core has an anchor which locks inside the Shift Link Assembly in the upper Driveshaft Housing.

When you shift, the core slides in and out to either pull or push this Shift Link Assembly.
The Link Assembly moves the Shift Shaft which raises or lowers the Shift Yoke which in turn
moves the Shift Clutch up or down to engage the proper gear.
There is more to this system and you shop manual will lay it all out for you.
It's a very simple system but everything must be in good condition and the cable must be properly installed
for proper operation and long clutch life.

REPLACE YOUR BRAVO SHIFT CABLE

1. a. Drain the gear lube from the lube monitor bottle on the engine.
    b. Tilt up the drive and look up underneath to remove the speedometer tube from the drive.
    c. Shift the shifter into NEUTRAL.
2. Trim the drive all the way down. Position the boat as so the skeg just touches the ground on a board.
3. Disconnect the engine's battery(s).
4. Remove the prop(s). Turn the drive so it is straight.
5. Remove the four plastic caps from the trim cylinder pins if installed.
6. Use a 5/8" socket and 5/8" wrench and remove all four trim cylinder retainer nuts.
7. Place all your nuts, washers and bushings in a safe place like a bucket so they don't get lost.
8. Pry the trim cylinders away from the drive and gimbal. Let them hang from their hoses out of the way.
9. Remove 5 of the nuts and washers that hole the drive in place.
10. Before removing the last nut, support the drive as so it won't fall if it slips off.
11. Support the drive and remove the last nut.
12. Pull the drive away from the Bell Housing and off of the studs and straight back.
13. Observe the core of the cable and open the linkage clamp as to release the cable end from the drive.
14. Carefully place the drive out of the way.
15. Inside the boat, remove both shift cables from the Shift Plate Assembly on the engine.
16. Using a pair of lock pliers or adjustable wrench, remove the two small square-headed screws from the end of the cable.
17. Pull off the black plastic cable end (Guide Tube).
18. Loosen the 7/16" brass locknut and unthread the stainless tube from the cable.
19. Slide your hand down the cables sheathing way back and down towards the transom to locate and remove the spiral wrap.
20. Make sure you have removed this spiral wrap from the cable before removing the cable or it will jam and create a problem.
21. Outside the boat, grab the core of the cable and rip it out of the sheathing. Discard the core.
22. Use the correct size deep socket and remove the cable retainer flange nut.
23. Lift/tilt up the Bell Housing and pull the cable out and away from the front side of the Bell Housing.
24. Pry off the old small clamp on the small end of the Shift Cable Bellows.
25. Pull the cable out of the Shift Cable Bellows and discard the old cable.
26. Inspect the Shift Cable Bellows and replace if needed.
27. When replacing the shift cable bellows, make sure to use Bellows Adhesive before clamping into position.
28. Inspect the front side of the Bell Housing to make sure the old gasket has been removed.
29. Remove the new shift cable from its package and straighten it out.
30. Unpack all the miscellaneous parts and make sure you are familiar with their installation and use.
31. Take a tube of grease (such as Mercury 2-4-C) and squirt a little into the end of the Shift Cable Bellows.
32. Coat a little grease on the brass end of the new cable.
33. Hold the small end of the Shift Cable Bellows and force the end of the cable into the bellows.
34. Carefully push in and snake the cable into the boats bilge.
35. Hop up inside the boat to make sure the cable is being properly routed into the bilge.
36. Two people, one inside and one outside the boat can make installation easier.
37. Install the round gasket onto the aft end of the cable and coat with Perfect Seal.
38. Position the aft end of the cable into the hole in the Bell Housing.
39. Install the cable flange nut onto the cables threads and tighten.
40. Tighten the flange nut to 65 INCH pounds of torque. (NOT foot pounds!).
41. Install the small Shift Cable Bellows clamp.
42. Slip the core of the cable into the sheathing and push it in all the way.
43. Inside the boat, thread the stainless tube onto the front end of the cable.
44. Thread the tube all the way on and then back out 2 turns. Tighten the brass locknut into place.
45. Install the anchor fitting into the end of the black plastic guide tube with its hole lined up with the cable.
46. Slip the guide tube onto the cable as so the core can be visable in the small hole in the guide tube.
47. Install and snug up the two small square retainer screws.
48. Install the flat cable Core Location tool (91-17263) onto the back of the Bell Housing and push the core up to the plate.
49. Install the Anchor Tool (91-17262) onto the cable by adjusting the adjusting barrel on the cable as so it fits onto the tool.
50. Remove the Anchor Tool and place the cable onto the shift plate without disturbing the cables adjustment.
51. Adjust the barrel on the remote control shift cable as so it fits nicely onto the shift plate assembly.
52. Remove the Core Location Tool from the back of the Bell Housing.
53. Clean up the Bell Housing and drive so the new orings can be glued into place.
54. Clean up the driveshaft splines.
55. Replace the orings on the drive shaft.
56. Grease the driveshaft splines with Mercruiser Spine Grease.
57. Use Bellows Adhesive and glue the oblong oring seal onto the front of the driveshaft housing.
58. Glue the round oring to the front of the drive too. Coat both surfaces with Perfect Seal.
59. Install the drive by first inserting the driveshaft in through the gimbal bearing and into the drive coupler.
60. When pushing the drive into place make sure the end of the cable core gets inserted into the "clapper" end of the drive linkage.
61. Bolt the drive into place with all 6 washers and nuts.
62. Torque all 6 nuts to 50 ft pounds.
63. Fill the lube bottle with High Performance Gear Lube.
64. Check the lube in the drive and fill as needed.
65. Install the trim cylinders and safety end caps.
Hook up your battery(s) and supply water to the drive/engine for test running.
66. Test run and test shift the drive before installing the prop to insure proper shift operation.
67. Always make sure you have a good water supply to the engine during running in drydock. 68. Inspect all fasteners, cables, etc.
69. Check for water leaks upon launching the vessel.

865437A02 Bravo Shift Cable (changes to 8M0176523) $144.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

74639A2 Shift Cable Bellows Kit (includes clamps) $28.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

16755Q1 Bravo Installation Oring Kit $7.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

92-86166Q1 Bellows Adhesive $10.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

92-858064K01 Hi-Performance Gear Lube Qt $ 16.78 ea Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

92-802859A1 2-4-C Marine Lube with Teflon $10.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

92-802869A1 Engine Coupler Spline Grease $13.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

92-34227--1 Perfect Seal $19.00 This is now Permatex Brand Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

802891K2 Gear Lube Pump Kit $10.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

91-805475A1 Alignment Tool $246.00 Click below to order this item online using PayPal.

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