Purchased a 1989 Bayliner Trophy 2459 Offshore in non-running condition. Previous owner stated it would not shift into forward gears and the boat mechanic he took it could not figure it out. Based on the numerous shift cable parts and the throttle being removed it appeared they had made some of the easy attempts to fix it.
I got the engine running fairly easy. It was seized up from sitting and nothing pulling the plugs and using a breaker bar on the harmonical balancer didn't break free. Cleaned the carbs, replaced filters, and it was good to go... except the shifting issue.
Parts Needed:
-Gaskets
-Water pump
Specialty Tools Needed:
As I planned to be going out onto lake Michigan with the boat, I wanted it to be reliable, so I decided to pull the outdrive/lower off.
Removing the outdrive was not difficult. Two bolts to remove the trim hydraulic arms. Six bolts and pull it off. It was a bit tough to break it loose, but it came out eventually.
Next, I took the outdrive to my garage and tore it apart. I planned to replace the water pump, all seals, and inspect it for any issues.
I removed the water pump and drained all of the old gearcase lube from the outdrive.
I removed the upper cover and inspected the gears, which appeared fine.
I removed the upper outdrive from the lower outdrive to inspect all the gasket and seals.
I removed all the seals and gaskets that I planned to replace. The rubber gasket that goes around the water pump was rotted, hard, and needed to be replaced.
I replaced all the gaskets and anodes.
Make sure to use aviation gasket sealer on all gaskets. That is very important as a lot of these gasket are submerged underwater.
Next was tuning in the shift rod. I followed directions online to tune in the shift rod (good info here). This is very important as the shifting actually takes place in the lower most part of the outdrive. Meaning there are tons of linkages between the throttle and the shift mechanisms that could be causing the shifting issue. So, all linkages needed to be checked.
The shift rod needs to be 7-13/64" from drive casing and not from shift rod cover to top of shift rod while the engine is in neutral. The shift rod threads into the bottom mechanism and the adjustment are made by spinning it.
Once that was set, I replaced all gasket and water pump parts on the upper outdrive.
I DID NOT add gear lube at this point. I would recommend waiting till the outdrive is on the boat before adding the lube. Doing it on the boat allows it to be level and offers the least chance of getting air bubbles in the lower part of the drive.
Once back at the boat I replaced the shift cable between the carb and the outdrive, this was definitely my issue. The metal housing that was holding the shift rod in the outdrive housing was snapped.
The new shift cable and bellows are installed through the outdrive and are fed up to the linkages near the carb. I cut the old shift cable and tapped it to the new one to help pull the shift cable through.
The method to tune in this shift cable is highly documented online. Here are the videos I followed to tune in the shift cable:
After this was tuned it in it was time to install the outdrive. Make sure to lube all moving parts on the shift linkage.
When installing the outdrive back onto the boat you need to use the alignment tool. Alignment is done by installing the rod where the outdrive shaft would go and making sure it turns freely and does not bind. If it binds adjustment are made at the motor mounts. This was really important in my situation as I had to remove a motor mount to install a blown freeze plug and my alignment changed. A good video on the motor alignment is here:
Once the motor is aligned it is fairly straightforward to install the outdrive, not easy, but straightforward. I recommend using wooden 2x4s or similar to prop the bottom of the outdrive level with the boat, so you don't have to hold all of the weight when trying to align it. Make sure to use aviation gasket sealer on the gasket and replace the O-ring on the cooling line and driveshaft. Also make sure the shift linkage is aligned with the shift rod on the outdrive.
Once in, tighten up the six bolts holding it on and attach the trim hydraulic arms.
Next, fill up the outdrive with lube. There is a very specific method of doing this to avoid air bubbles. These are 3 ports for lube. One on the very top (large flat head bolt/dipstick), one midway down on the right side, and one drain at the bottom. You need to open all of them up and pump in through the bottom most hole first until lube come out of the middle hole. Plug the bottom hole and repeat by filling through the middle hold until you reach the level required on the dip stick.
Here is a good video on the gearcase filling procedure:
Now text the shifting with the motor off. It should move fairly easily. Follow this up by running the engine at idle, hooked up with muffs to water supply and making sure the prop is clear of obstructions. Shift it into forward and reverse and confirm proper operation. Fine tuning can be done at the shift linkages at the carb, but do not change it too much. It is much better to tune the shift linkages using the plastic tools with the outdrive off.
Also inspect for any leakages from the cooling line and the proper operation of the water pump. Let the engine run for a while and make sure it does not overheat. Lastly after the boat sits and cools, make sure the outdrive is level and check the fluid level, add as needed.
Once comfortable, it's time to take the boat out on the water and enjoy it. Shift it through the gears at the dock to again confirm proper operation. Follow that up by confirming the cooling system is working on its own. Muffs can force water through the cooling system and can make it appear like the cooling system is working when it is not.
After I did all this my boat shifted great. Enjoyed it all season with no further shifting issues.
