Maxum 2900SCR shifting cable lengths

[magnartbl]

Hi
I have a Maxum 2900 SCR from 2001, twin engine Mercruiser 4.3l v6's and bravo 2 sterndrive.

My port engine has last year had difficulties with the gear shift. I have tried to adjust the shifting cables, without being able to fix the problem, and therefore I now want to exchange the cables.

There are two cables:
- One long shift cable is coming from the controller to the engine.
- One short shift cable goes from the engine to the sterndrive.

I would presume the long shift cable is aboutish 16 feet/192" long. I have no idea about how long the short is, as I cannot follow it behind the engine very well due to the narrow compartment, but my guess would be around 6-7 feet long.

Unfortunately, there are no marking/writings on any of the cable itself. It is totally black giving me no clues. It can have weared away over the years. Also, the engine having issues the cable already seems to have been exchanged once before(!) And, I can't do anything but wonder if that new cable is too long or too short, and might be the rootcause of the issue.
Meaning, pulling it out and measure it might give me a wrong measurement anyhow.

Therefore;

Does anyone know how long these cables should be from factory?

/Magnar

[mmwjr]

Magnar the lower cable from the engine to drive only comes in one length so that should be easy. I do not know the length of the upper, control to engine cable.

What is the issue you are having? Bravos are usually trouble free compared to Alpha cables. When adjusting are you following the manual and using the recommended tool?

[magnartbl]

Hi,
No, I don't have the recommended tool mentioned in the Service manual number 28, page 97-100. Anyone know of a good online shop selling that internationally?

The issue is that when I move forward, it goes forward. Then I move to neutral, and it goes to neutral. Then I put it in reverse, and it works fine too. This works fine as intended in most times, but then; suddenly it doesn't work. Forward to neutral ends up with a middle-thing and I need to pull the control more to reverse to make it go into neutral properly, otherwise it is just hammering and in the middle of forward-neutral.
This issue also comes from reverse to neutral. But the main thing is; It doesn't happen all the times. Just in between. Which makes docking to piers between other boats very exciting... Especially for my wife running back-and-forth trying to shield of the other boats as the engine is not really doing what I need it to do in order to dock successfully and in control.

I've had a boat mech to look at it, and he thinks the cables are the issue. Problem is that getting the boat mech to where I have the boat is very expensive by itself, and doing this multiple times without really getting anywhere is becoming even more frustrating. I've tried to fix as much as possible myself, but I have simply given up at this point.

So, if anyone can help, I would be really happy.

Cheers from Sweden

[mmwjr]

Sorry do not know of a source in your neck of the woods to order the tool. I think most US places will ship but the shipping will be more than the part.

Another source of the problem could be the shift mechanism in the drive is worn, how many hours are on the drive?