I have a 03 chaparrel 196 ssi and It is very hard to shift it into forward and reverse?

Question

engine and drive 2003 5.0 volvo penta. engine runs fine and throttle moves fine when I push in safety button that allows me to run up engine without putting it in to gear. the only time the throttle is hard to turn is when I am puttine it into gear. drive units oil is up to level but hasnt been changed in a year. I have not checked cables yet because I dont know where to check.

Answer 1

Sounds to me like the shift cables are gone on your boat. Sometimes the friction control will tighten up from a few years of use, but I don't believe there is a friction control on the inside of the throttle control behind the bulkhead that it is mounted on. What you'll need to do is locate the shift cable in the engine compartment and treat the linkage with a rust inhibitor or liquid like WD40 or something. That might free up your shift cables a little, but it isn't going to make much of a difference if it is the cable. They usually get moisture in the cable and rust inside, and there is nothing you can do about it. I've been in the marine business 20 years and have seen them all. Just eliminate your problem and have the cables replaced. It is not an easy job replacing the cables if they are bad and you haven't done it before, so I would avoid all of the hassles and have someone do it for you. While you're at it, have the throttle cable replaced as well. That way, you have two possible problems eliminated (cheap insurance, if you will). Good Luck!

Answer 2

As long as the drive oil is topped up AND in good condition the the quickest and cheapest repair is the cable.

On the rare chance that it is not the cable then there will be a problem in the upper gear case that can only be repaired by a trained tec.

35 years as a marine tec.OMC/Merc./        volvo

Answer 3

i would start with changing your cable the cables are cheap enough and shoudl be done so just start with those and this should fix your problem.

Answer 4

you've been given sound advice by these two men . have someone else do the job-it really can be difficult. now i have no experience with volvo-penta set ups but if this unit has exhaust bellows and shifting cable bellows have these bellows changed as well since they are right there anyway.

Answer 5

Mark G. is right about the shift cable.

But you don't need to check the shift mechanism on the engine. Volvos don't have an intermediate assembly. The shift cable goes strait to the drive. As a result the cable is susceptible to water intrusion and corrosion.

I would suggest taking the boat to  a repair shop and having them check it out. it could be a problem with the shift crank in the drive, routing, etc. But if all that checks out you should go ahead and have the shift /AND throttle cables replaced (It just makes good maintenance sense to do them both at once).

Good luck!