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water flowing through the shift cable

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  • water flowing through the shift cable

    When I run my boat on the ear muffs or in the water, I'm getting water flow out of the outdrive shift cable. I'ts coming out of the actual cable housing where the cable connects on the shift plate. What do I need to replace?

  • #2
    I think you should try replace the outdrive mounting gaskets and o-rings first. Make sure and check that all surfaces are clean and not corroded. If that doesn't do it, then maybe the upper drive shift cavity has a hole that leads to the water cavity.

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    • #3
      If this is a Mercruiser Alpha 1 stern drive,not a gen2, the problem is that the seal for the shift shaft running through the exhaust cavity from the shift cavity in the bell housing is leaking.The reason water is coming out the shift cable housing is that exhaust water coming through the bell housing is pushing through the bad seal & pressurizing the shift cavity.The only way out is through the shift cable housing. The seal system was under engineered & WILL fail. Mercury has a upgraded seal & bushing kit that is over engineered and lasts for years. If your unit is a Alpha 1 gen2 made from 1991 to date the same seals are bad. You will need to pull the drive to replace these seals & bushing. Not likely to be a hole from shift cavity to water cavity. Check water transfer o-ring between drive & bell housing. Glue it in place. They love to fall out as your installing the drive. If you boat in saltwater I recommend that you replace the shift cable as well. Salt corrosion WILL form in the housing and start binding the cable causing your shift switch to throw when shifting into gear and shutting off the engine. Good Luck, Ken @ Alvin Marine

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      • #4
        Its probably the intermediate shift shaft seals that keep exhaust water from entering shift cavity.This was a big problem on all drives 1990 & older

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        • #5
          its probably the intermediate shift shaft seal that keeps exhaust water from entering shift cavity. It was a big problem on alpha units 1990 & older

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