Transmission – trouble shifting into reverse

[csdurand]

I have a 1986 Hunter 34 and am having troubles shifting into reverse. When I shift between FWD & N there is a distinctive “click” when the transmission is in gear (or out of gear). When I shift into REV there is no distinctive “click” and it feels soft / spongy. When this happens I don’t know if I am in reverse or not. I checked the cable and leaver at the transmission and all appear to be fine – shift smoothly, no corrosion, etc. but I also noticed that the lever will stop when shifting into FWD at a certain point but does not stop at a certain point when shifting into reverse. Is this a broken cable, missing cable stop / screw or a problem within the transmission? I used to hear / feel the “click” into reverse but lost it sometime over the past season or two during one of my more exciting docking maneuvers...



Thanks to all in advance for your assistance!

-Chuck

 

[Steve Dion]

Have you tried shifting the trans by hand at the transmission? Maybe you just have a linkage issue.

 

[kloudie1]

Steve is right on.. Take the linkage off the lever at the transmission and shift it by hand with the engine off .. It should click solidly into neutral. Forward and reverse should be less of a solid click but the lever should stop . You can test that it is in reverse by clicking the lever into reverse then trying to turn the shaft clockwise (looking from aft) by hand.. It should be locked or very stiff to clockwise.. then go to neutral and back to reverse and try counterclockwise by hand.. it should slip fairly easily. Your cable housing has probably slipped a little causing it to not go solidly into reverse.. Click the lever solidly into neutral again.. now, hook up the actuator and the lever outside should be straight up.. if not, loosen the cable housing clamp and without moving the tranny lever out of a solid neutral detent, move the cable housing to make the outside lever vertical .. tighten the housing and you should be good to go..

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Steve and kloudie gave you the way to see if your tranny engages properly. After you've done the manual test, with the linkage still disengaged, make sure the boat is secured properly to the dock, with springlines forwaft and aft, then start the engine. Go back to the tranny and engage it forward. You should see the shaft start turning immediately and feel the boat lurch forward. Get back to neutral. shaft should stop turning. When stopped, engage in reverse. Shaft should turn the opposite way and boat lurch backwards immediately. If boat does not move immediately but does when RPM is increased then you have transmission problems. It boat moves immediately in boat directions, then you have a cable issue. Someone at the control also able to see the propwash will confirm your opinion. Good luck

 

[Cool_Change]

Further to the tests described which are bang on....be sure that the shaft is solidly engaging. This past summer the transmission went on our 2000 h340. I had done all the tests, had motion and prop wash in both directions so figured it was just a cable adjustment issue. The next time leaving the dock tho (we were stern to) I discovered that forward gear was partially engaging but slipping under load. Luckily weren't far enough out of the dock to run into trouble... Wound up pulling the transmission (surprisingly small and light once out) and taking in to have rebuilt. Changed engine mounts while I was at it as had to shift the whole thing ahead slightly to disengage the shaft spline gear for the removal. If you wind up having to remove I can give you more detail if needed.

 

[Fast Ed]

I have an '86 Hunter 34, and I had my trans rebuilt last year. The mechanic who removed it from the boat said the 3GM30 trans has a 1200 hour lifespan.

I had Mack Boring do the rebuild. Most of the cost is parts. I had about $300 in Labor and $1200 in parts. The trick to taking the trans out is to jack the engine off its mounts. My mechanic had a small scissor jack that he placed on a block of wood under the engine for this purpose. My mechanic had the trans out of the boat in one hour flat!

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

. "The trick to taking the trans out is to jack the engine off its mounts." My mechanic had a small scissor jack that he placed on a block of wood under the engine for this purpose. My mechanic had the trans out of the boat in one hour flat!

It might be easier with a scissor jack but it does not save all that much time. It can be done from the stern cabin without touching the engine. I did it in 2 hours, while on a mooring, also removing the damper plate, the flywheel (60 lbs, way heavier than the 24 lbs of the tranny) , and the rear bearing housing. The trick here is to slip the shaft back against the packing gland (about 2" on the 34) and after removing the 8 bolts from the tranny housing, just pull on it backwards. It will come out from the spline in the damper plate and can be pulled out through the inspection hole. Of course you got to figure a way out through hoses and wires. I hope for you it's just a cable problem. Good luck

 

[Cool_Change]

Yeah....I was about 1/2" short on being able to slide the shaft back and didn't want to mess with the dripless shaft seal. I had new motor mounts to install anyways so took the opportunity!

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Yeah....I was about 1/2" short on being able to slide the shaft back and didn't want to mess with the dripless shaft seal. I had new motor mounts to install anyways so took the opportunity!

Understood. Had I needed to change the motor mounts I would have lifted the engine. As it was they were in good shape so I avoided it to simplify alignment.