Shifter sticking when shifting in and out of forward

[Woodworks1]

New to me this year C30 1983 MK l, Universal 5411, Hurth HBW50 with Edson’s Standard Clutch and Throttle Control.
Flushed and changed ATF 3 times running it for a couple minutes each time with Dexron lll last week and then ran it for an hour going and coming from the dock. It was brown form before changing it.
Shifting has over travel and hits the Edson’s chrome post when shifting into forward still but you can feel the difference positions F N R. Still hard to shift into forward.
I have adjusted the Bowden cable all the way in and out at the gearbox's didn’t help.. The gearbox lever is at the factory setting. Shifter handle still hit the pedestal post. The gearbox's lever can be adjusted on its post That might help but is at top dead center factory setting.
Haven’t removed the compass on the Edson pedestal to see the adjusted there yet.
I have the manuals for the Edison shifter and the transmission.
Maybe changing the ATF fluid will help. Maybe it will heal itself and shift smoothly overtime.

 

[dmax]

If you have stainless steel shift levers, they can be bent a little very easily so they don't hit the pedestal guard.

 

[Woodworks1]

dmax,
The shifter handle has a set screw with a shallow hole in the shaft. I’m thinking about just drilling another shallow hole in the shaft just a little bit off of the other to alleviate the problem. If there are no other adjustments.

 

[Woodworks1]

I think it’s probably just on its way out. But hope dies hard.

 

[dmax]

Did you try disconnecting the cable and shifting into forward by hand? That will at least isolate the problem.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

There may be a fitting that squeezes the cable to add some friction. I know my throttle cable has this. My C30 has an M25-XPA with an HBW50 and a Edson pedestal

 

[Woodworks1]

Yes, it moves freely into forward and reverse with noticeable points in the movement from F-N-R when running at low RPM. That’s is where the hope comes from.

I had to also put the throttle linkage back together correctly. It has a pivoting plate in between the cable linkage and the throttle linkage that was put in upside down. It’s longer on one side than the other, so it bumped up against the diesel fuel line at the bottom and the air filter at the top so you couldn’t really adjust it to the right position. It’s like that in the pictures online that I could find they were also upside down. It’s upside down in this photo below also.
It was hard to kill the motor because it hit the fuel line before it would shutdown. You had to really push down hard on the throttle handle on Edison pedestal to kill the engine. After flipping the connecting plate over everything works fine. But it was counterintuitive because the longer side went to the bottom.
Hoping to find something that simple on the shifter mechanism.

Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid." —Robert N. Rose

 

[Ward H]

I know you said you have the manual for the HBW 50 but here is a screen shot of the page about the adjustment settings for the tranny's shift lever.
I'd take the end of the shift cable off the tranny's shift lever. Note the amount of throw needed for full forward and reverse positions.
Then adjust the cable so you can go slightly past these points. Put the cable back on the shift lever.
If you shifter hits the pedestal guard before putting the tranny in full forward and it's been run this way, the clutch plates most likely are shot and or the detent pieces are shot.
If this diagram is not in your version of the manual, I can post my copy.

 

[dmax]

"Yes, it moves freely into forward and reverse with noticeable points in the movement from F-N-R when running at low RPM."
Just to be sure, you do not want to shift the transmission if the engine rpm's are greater that 1000, you always want to bring the engine back to idle speed (800 - 1000 rpm's) before shifting.

 

[Richard19068]

Perhaps you need to change out the shifter cable? They do get old and worn. When I changed mine it was a world of difference.

 

[Woodworks1]

Went to the boat yesterday and made adjusts to the end of the cable at the gearbox it helped. and it is not sticking anymore but I think getting rid of the over filled gearbox and foamy ATF fluid helped also. The previous owner could have over filled it causing it to foam up and moving up into parts of the gearbox that would whip it in to a foamy brown substance or a dew point scenario maybe or both. You have to check this gearbox dipstick without screwing it into the hole. I think the end adjustment at the Edson will move the handle down so it doesn't hit the cockpit table post.
"If something is wrong with your boat, go to the last thing that was fixed first"

 

[Woodworks1]

Ward H'
I moved the cable end to the top hole in the shifter arm hoping it would put it into a less of extreme angle in forward and reverse. Thank for the photo from the owner's manual.