V-P DPS-B Won’t Shift from Neutral

[LtColMac17]

I’ve been troubleshooting this problem after changing the outdrive oil. I’ve disconnected the shift cable at the shifter, no problem with the teleflex shifter. Throttle operates fine. I’ve disconnected the cable at the outdrive, and the drive shifts fine forward and reverse with proper lockup felt at the props in both positions. I’ve also tried shifting with engine running on the hose - froze solid.

Have I done everything I can, short of replacing the shift cable? I haven’t been in the water this season and it ran fine last October.

 

[tetonguy]

There is a button to disconnect the drive mechanism from the throttle on the side that you press to activate. Does this work ok? Have you looked at it?

 

[LtColMac17]

If you mean the button at the pivot point to operate throttle only, then yes it works fine.

 

[LtColMac17]

To elaborate a little more, with the cable disconnected at both the shifter and the outdrive, I can move it, but very very difficult. My boat is a 2013 model, no salt water use. Abnormal for the cable to be bad already? Anything else to check?

I’m not finding any YT or other instructions on a late model Chap, to feel confident in pulling out the cable, measuring, and ordering new. Is there any guidance? I’m concerned about how it gets through the transom.

 

[Denny]

There should be a number stamped on the cable that will tell you the length.

 

[LtColMac17]

Well here’s my final report on this issue, in case someone else needs it. I got the PN from the old cable jacket and ordered new from West Marine.

Once it arrived, I taped the new cable end at the shifter to the old cable end. A few zip ties behind the driver’s seat and the sink had to be cut, but the new one pulled through fine to the engine compartment.

I was about to pull on through the transom, but was afraid the two cables taped together would get stuck. There is a length of reinforced rubber hose that the cable must feed through at the back of the engine compartment to get through the transom to the outdrive. This hose is not mentioned on the parts guide, so I don’t know specifics on it, although it looked to be 1/2” ID. I untaped the two and pulled the old one out.

I could only push the new one as far as the O/D frame edge (or whatever the feed tube is connected to), as it would catch there because there’s no bend in the cable end. To solve this, I ran a stainless wire up from the outside and wrapped it tightly around the threaded cable end. I was able to pull the cable end over that frame edge easily.

Connected both ends. Shifter works fine now!

 

[Denny]

Thanks for sharing the info.