Fix Volvo Penta DP-SM reluctance to shift out of gear, plus shimming the shift shoe stop screw.
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2020
- With the engine running, shifting into forward and reverse works perfectly. The gears engage nice and smooth. However, when returning to neutral from either forward or reverse, the control handle sometimes needs to be wiggled back and forth for the gears to disengage. The solutions was found!
This video was made to hopefully help others with a similar issue. It lists the steps that I took to figure out why my boat would sometimes be reluctant to shift out of gear. Note that I am a self-taught mechanic not certified in any way. My information comes from Internet discussion groups and the Volvo Penta Workshop Manual for the 2004 DP-SM sterndrive. Your experience may vary.
The shift bracket tool (P/N 3850057) is very difficult to find. Here are the measurements:
Using digital calipers, the measurement between the middle of the top hole and the middle of the hole with the thumb screw is 22.5 mm (approx. 7/8 inch). The diameter of the upper and lower holes is 6.9 mm (approx. 9/32 inch). The bar itself is 76.3 mm (exactly 3 inch) long and 15.8 mm (exactly 5/8 inch) wide. The bar is 9.6 mm (exactly 3/8 inch) thick on the ends where the holes are, and steps to 7.8 mm (approx. 5/16 inch) thick for the rest of the bar - the step occurs at 15.8 mm (exactly 5/8 inch) from either end of the bar. The step looks like it is there to ensure the bar sits flat on the screw locations despite the raised lettering on the shift mechanism.
See also the iBoats forum post where this process was discussed:
forums.iboats.com/forum/engin... - Наука та технологія
Very useful information! Thanks for sharing the video!!
Nice video. I watched it and took notes. Very helpful!
Well documented technical video. Thank you
Thanks for a great video with lots of details.
Excellent video, I'll be making an adjustment tool using the specs you provided in another comment. Thanks
Very well presented, nice job
Great job on the video. I hope it works!
Thanks for the tutorial 👍
Excellent! Very informative!
I saw in the video you had 3 arms. You are a mechanic.
Excellent video, thanks for sharing this and I hope it will help in my very similar issue. Just had new motor put in and after three months this !!!!!! Once again Thank you
Loved the video thanks for sharing. Wondering where you found the shift bracket tool part #3850057
I cant seem to find it anywhere
Thanks
I know. It is really, really hard to find. I did an intense Internet search and found one on a marine surplus site (marinesurplus.com). I believe that they only had one, but you could check. The impression that I have is that the tool is available to Volvo techs - potentially as a replacement for the one in their Volvo kit of tools. Perhaps you could try finding a tech and working that route.
There are some discussions on iBoats.com about how necessary the tool is. Its main purpose is to make sure the angle on the shift mechanism is correct so that the pin is on the flat spot of the actuator housing. I guess there are a lot of people out there that perform the shimming without the tool.
Great video. Unfortunately this part costs over 600 euro at local stealership
Keep up to great work on the videos
Great video! Just curious. How many hours where on the outdrive when you replaced the actuator?
Not sure. Probably around 500 hours.
I wonder if anyone has ever tried to install a longer dowel pin on the linkage. It seems like the dowel only wears and touches about half to 2/3 of the surface. Longer pin might lengthen useable life considerably.
pretty sure the shifting fork was shimmed too tight at the factory. I've worked on a lot of these and have never seen that much ware. Good save !
Great video. My issue is that when, at idle, I shift into forward or reverse and it shifts smoothly. But when in forward, and I give it more power and doesn't react quickly. As I give it more power, I hear a big knock as the gear catches up. Any idea what I need to look at? I would really appreciate your feedback.
Hmm. Not sure, but try searching / posting on the Volvo forum on iboats.com. forums.iboats.com/forum/volvo-penta-i-o-inboard-gas-engines-outdrives.35/
Reuben - did you make any headway on this? Having a similar issue.
Upper and Lower gear shimming must be checked.
Good Video... I am facing the same problem. How did the shifter feel when you wanted to go into neutral? Just a steady resistance or was it shaking at high frequency just as mine? Thanks
The handle easily moved the shifter to neutral. However, the gear would not disengage. It needed more "tapping" to go out of gear.
Excellent video. Does it matter the direction you're turning the props when checking the feel ?
If you are asking about the feel of the tapping when shimming the shift top screw, the direction (gear) that you are in will determine which face you are testing - forward gear will test the forward face, and reverse will test the reverse face.
If using a new shift actuator assembly, then both faces are new and the direction shouldn't matter. If using your existing shift actuator assembly, one of the faces may be more worn than the other. I am not an expert, but I would adjust for the most worn face (likely forward gear). If the boat shifts out of gear on the most worn face, then it will also shift out from the other.
Best of luck!
@@BradStone-1 i just recall that you had the locating tool in place and would reach and turn props while feeling for the 'bump'. I dont know what gear that would be in off hand. I had assumed it was neutral. Thanks for the super fast reply !
@@edyancy2805 The alignment tool will place the pin on the forward gear face which is what is used in the video.
If the gear is in neutral, then there shift lever will be horizontal and the pin will not rest on either plate, thus there will be no tapping from the shift shim bolt. The tapping causes the clutch cones to separate from being "in gear" to being "in neutral" and happens when shifting from either forward or reverse gear on the way to the neutral position.
I think that if you position the shift lever in the same position as the video (forward gear) you will be all set.
@@BradStone-1 i missed the memo that the tool held it in forward gear. All makes perfect sense now. On a side note, I have serviced this thing once before for this exact problem and I had bad wear pattern where the pin slides over from detent to detent. But being the ultimate cheapskate I tried smoothing it all out with some hand tools or dremel tools , I dont even remember. But then I also decided to try just using a significantly longer stainless bolt and using a jam nut to adjust the lash and it seemed to work great. Shifting feel improved immensely but has now gone south again... Will look into a replacement unit as you did but theyre so high. I consider the whole thing to be a weak design at least from a longevity standpoint...
I tried this too but can't get it to shift out of drive in the water. I'm wondering is I the shift shoe or the assembly that needs replacing. 🤔
Hello Brad and thanks for the excellent video. Just a question...you replaced the shifter housing with also the dog numbered 9 on the old and 8 on the new one, could you explaine me what does the number mean and why you bought a different one? In addition, why the old shifting housing was damaged in that way, have you found the cause? thanks a lot, also me, I'm trying with my father to check the sterndrive unit, because when we bought the boat it wasn't able to shift out the gear, but thanks to your steps I'll try to check it quickly.😁
No idea what the different number means (if anything). I just bought the new part and that is what came.
I think that the wear was just from shifting in-and-out of gear over the years. The flat surface will be tapped (by design) every time you shift out of gear. We like to troll fishing and that stern drive trolls too fast. Hence we have shifted in and out of gear a lot over the years in order to keep our speed around 2 knots while trolling for fish. :^)
Great video. Where did you get the shift actuator part from? I found them on line from Marine Parts and they are stupid expensive. $700-$800.
Online, and like you are finding, expensive.
I love the video
Gotcha. Thanks Brad. Yeah. Had a mechanic look at the boat. He said it’s something with the outdrive. I think I might pull it off and check it. How good is that dog in the housing. Is there a risk it can fall in the outdrive?
Yes, it can fall out if not careful, and it wouldn't be good to lose it in the outdrive. There is a spring pushing the dog out against the gears. However, if you take it off slowly and carefully, you should be able to tip it back so gravity keeps it in place. Be sure to take pictures to help enable you to put it back correctly - especially which side of the dog is facing up (very important).
Hello, I came across this post as I'm dealing with and researching this same, shift shaft seal, issue now. I'm confident I will be able to replace this myself but am wondering if you might have knowledge as to the symptoms of performance when this seal gets a leak? I've noticed lately, reverse is not engaging right away and now forward is acting the same. I have to give it a little throttle before it will engage. Also, intermittently, when I increase throttle to get on plane, the engine seems to bog and won't increase speed. After a couple of tries, I can get it to react properly. Are these different issues or could this happen due to a bad seal? Maybe I'm totally off base all together. Thanks for any input. I have twin 2001 volvo penta 5.7gsi motors.
Hi Michael. I am not a Volvo mechanic, so don't feel qualified to diagnose your specific issue. I can tell you that if your gear seal is leaking in a way that is letting water in your gears, you are not in a good place. You would probably see milky colored gear oil if this is the case. Don't let this issue go without dealing with it right away. If there is water in there, you will likely want to consult a Volvo mechanic.
Going into gear is likely a different problem than the engine bogging down. Going INTO gear (either forward or reverse) is also a different problem than going OUT of gear (which is what is covered in this video). Problems going INTO gear could be caused by a worn or non-lubricated shift cable (check the travel) or it may be a worn cone clutch inside the sterndrive.
All the best!
Cant find that shift bracket tool. Any chance you could measure distance from the middle of the top hole to the middle of the hole with the thumb screw so I can just make one???
Hi Chad. Yes, the shift bracket tools are quite difficult to find.
Using digital calipers, the measurement between the middle of the top hole and the middle of the hole with the thumb screw is 22.5 mm (approx. 7/8 inch). The diameter of the upper and lower holes is 6.9 mm (approx. 9/32 inch). The bar itself is 76.3 mm (exactly 3 inch) long and 15.8 mm (exactly 5/8 inch) wide. The bar is 9.6 mm (exactly 3/8 inch) thick on the ends where the holes are, and steps to 7.8 mm (approx. 5/16 inch) thick for the rest of the bar - the step occurs at 15.8 mm (exactly 5/8 inch) from either end of the bar. The step looks like it is there to ensure the bar sits flat on the screw locations despite the raised lettering on the shift mechanism.
BE VERY CAREFUL when tightening the screws on the aluminum drive. It is so easy to strip them out and very, very difficult to fix because of the tight tolerances (i.e. a heli-coil would be very difficult to do).
Best of luck!
@@BradStone-1 Thank you this is very helpful information! I used these dimension to make a 3D part.
@@thomasgregg1226, That is awesome! Did you use it and can confirm that it works? If so, consider uploading it to Thingiverse with the Volvo part number in the description.
BTW, you may be interested in this. If you search Thingiverse for "Volvo Penta SX-MHP Water Pipe Nut Wrench" you will see one of my designs. It allows you to change the water pipe on the inside of the SX-MHP stern drive. That wrench is also really hard to find. Might be helpful someday.
@@BradStone-1 Great info Chad!...May I ask, hoe are the holes located with respect to the bracket? are the center of holes aligned? I am gonna have it made in a machine shop.
Hey Brad, Do you know where to get the tool from?
I know. It is really, really hard to find. I did an intense Internet search and found one on a marine surplus site (marinesurplus.com). I believe that they only had one, but you could check. The impression that I have is that the tool is available to Volvo techs - potentially as a replacement for the one in their Volvo kit of tools. Perhaps you could try finding a tech and working that route.
There are some discussions on iBoats.com about how necessary the tool is. Its main purpose is to make sure the angle on the shift mechanism is correct so that the pin is on the flat spot of the actuator housing. I guess there are a lot of people out there that perform the shimming without the tool.
A super mechanic
Hey Brad, i have been having the same exact issue. Can I just remove the housing to check and replace as is if that doesn't appear to be the issue?
I am not a Volvo mechanic, and actually don't even own a boat anymore. However, if I were you, I would check everything else first. If you do remove the housing, be careful with the bolts as they can easily strip off not torqued right. Also, you may need to replace the o-ring when putting the original housing back to ensure it remains water tight.
Where did you purchase the repair manual?
Hi Craig. Here is what worked for me.
Start with recording all the model numbers off your boat. For Volvo there will be a model for the drive (e.g. DP-SM), transom (SX-MHP) and engine (e.g. 8.1 Gi-F). Then do an Internet search for the engine workshop manual (e.g. 8.1 Gi-F Workshop Manual), and the drive / transom workshop manual (e.g. DP-SM SX-MHP workshop manual). You may be able to find .pdf copies that you can download which are easier to search than a paper manual, plus you can just print the pages you need when you work on the boat so you don't risk damaging the paper manual.
I even went so far to as to include all my notes in the .pdf file, and put a copy on my Lowrance SD Card so that I had access to the manuals on the water. Only had to use them once so far on the water, but was glad that I had them.
Did you ever get a little short engine rev when shifting from forward to neutral? I have been having the issue of it sticking in gear a little but also sometimes it tends to rev briefly when I shift. I have to shift to neutral, wait for the rpm to come back down then I can shift again. It's just seconds but it is a pain when trying to go from forward to reverse somewhat quickly. New cable and everything is adjusted. Figured shift shoe adjustment sounds like it's worth doing.......
The motor speed and the shifting are completely different cables on my boat. Both originate at the control, but the throttle ends on the engine. I am not an expert, but check to see that the throttle cable moves to neutral well before the shift starts to disengage. It may just be an adjustment of a nut either at the control or on the engine.
holy $600-700 part!
I have a 2007 Volvo Penta SX thats difficult to shift in and out of f N R, particularly into reverse. Tried shifting without cable and cable/shifter move freely. The shift leaver on the drive are what seems to be stiff. Changed oil but its no help. Only 92 hours on drive and engine. Makes me think its not shimmed properly but who knows right?
Disconnecting the shift cable from the mechanism as you did is a good place to start. Sounds like your cables are OK. However, this doesn't rule out that the cables are not properly adjusted.
With the cable disconnected, and the engine running, does the shift mechanism work properly when manually moving it fully into forward and reverse? If so, perhaps your cables just need to be adjusted to move the shift mechanism to the proper location. If not, then the problem is likely in the mechanism.
Of course, be careful with the prop when the engine is running and have it properly muffed.
@@BradStone-1 I am having a similar issue except my drive doesnt look like the drive above. I have a Volvo Sx Drive 5.0 GXI but it doesnt even have linkage that looks like that. I can disconnect the shift cable at the drive end but the spot where it actually links up to the drive in the back doesnt have any kind of screw to remove anything its just a brass circle that doesnt appear to be able to be removed in the first place. My boat is off and stuck in gear right now. I dont think I can start it in gear and I dont see anyway to manually shift it back to neutral on the drive end because it is stiff as hell
Good video,thanks. Buy the way, is someone killing those kids in the background?
What about reluctance to shift into gear and slipping in gear
Mike, I am not a Volvo mechanic, but you would likely want to work through the issue in the same manner. Start with the easy things. Disconnect the cable from the shift mechanism to see if the problem is with the handle and cables, or the shift mechanism. Does the drive shift too soon into gear when just manually pushing the shift mechanism? If not, look at the cables and handle. If so, look at adjusting the shimming.
... stuff like that.
At one point, my cables were not moving smoothly which caused problems with shifting. I just replaced them to eliminate any problems with that part.