Hi, this is my first posting. I recently acquired a Catalina 30 and had an issue with shifting into forward gear. It engaged after a few minutes when motoring back to port, but it wouldn't engage back into forward when getting it into the slip. reverse worked fine. the lever moves up freely to forward, but the gear doesn't do the typical engagement. Thanks, an inboard engine beginner. Kevin
Diesel engine
- Thread starter kesniffen
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Hopefully it's as simple as the length of the shifter cable being a little out. Without seeing it, hard to say whether its too long or too short. Try disconnecting the cable at the shift lever on the engine and see what adjustment is required.
Welcome to the site and let us know how it works out.
Thanks Ralph, I'll give that a shot and let you know, thanks so much! Kevin
Good advice from Ralph. Once you got the cable disconnected, start engine and using the shifter on the tranny that the cable was attached to, engage tranny in forward position (make sure boat is secured properly in her slip). If tranny is fine, boat should move forward and pull on her lines. if it doesn't then you do have transmission problems. If it works fine in forward and reverse, have someone at the control push the tranny lever and measure where the cable should go, then just accordingly. Fairly simple job. Good luck
A few people have had shifting difficulties with Hurth HBW5 transmissions used in some Catalinas , check linkage and insure you have clean and correct fluid as others have suggested.
This year I've have had to lubricate my shifter linkage, because the trans. level would not go from reverse to forward properly. You have to figure out where it is sticking or binding.
I thoroughly lub'd both ends, but found out that mine was sticking at the shifter linkage,
just inside the shifter itself. The cable can bind where it links up with the shifter plate & the pinion. After several liberal squirts with PB Blaster it freed up & operated fine.
Now I don't trust it so much, so I always check the trans. & throttle linkage for proper movement, while tied up in the slip, & run from forward to neutral to reverse & back again BEFORE we untie from the pilings. Finding out that our C 30 wouldn't come out of reverse & into forward under power in our TIGHT fairway would be disastrous. Especially with our lil' 5411 we need every bit of oomph we can get out of her while coming out of the slip.
ps. If you use PB Blaster be careful with it & don't spray anything plastic or rubber, as its rather corrosive in nature to anything plastic & also avoid spraying onto the nearby wiring harness of the engine gauges. Its all pretty close together in the port locker wall. Good luck.
I thoroughly lub'd both ends, but found out that mine was sticking at the shifter linkage,
just inside the shifter itself. The cable can bind where it links up with the shifter plate & the pinion. After several liberal squirts with PB Blaster it freed up & operated fine.
Now I don't trust it so much, so I always check the trans. & throttle linkage for proper movement, while tied up in the slip, & run from forward to neutral to reverse & back again BEFORE we untie from the pilings. Finding out that our C 30 wouldn't come out of reverse & into forward under power in our TIGHT fairway would be disastrous. Especially with our lil' 5411 we need every bit of oomph we can get out of her while coming out of the slip.
ps. If you use PB Blaster be careful with it & don't spray anything plastic or rubber, as its rather corrosive in nature to anything plastic & also avoid spraying onto the nearby wiring harness of the engine gauges. Its all pretty close together in the port locker wall. Good luck.
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