How To Tell If Your MerCruiser Is Stalling
Worried your MerCruiser might be stalling when you shift gears? The information below can help you determine if it’s due to a sticking shift cable.
- Read your engine owners manual and all safety precautions.
- Turn off your boats battery switch or disconnect the battery.
- Remove your prop.
- Turn on your battery switch or reconnect your battery.
- Hook up a hose with a flushette if you are going to start the motor out of the water.
- Make sure the drive and engine have a good water supply.
- Start your engine. Make sure you have a water supply to the drive and/or motor.
- Let the engine warm up at idle.
- Keep an eye on your gauges.
- Make sure your water is flowing through the engine and coming out the exhaust.
- Make sure that all people are clear of the drive and propeller shaft.
- Shift into forward gear.
- Shift back into neutral.
- Shift into reverse.
- Shift back into neutral.
Did the engine stall?
If the engine stalled chances are that you may have a sticking shift cable to the drive. If that’s the case, here is how you can fix it:
Replace the shift cable to the drive unit and retest. You can read cable replacement instructions here
Tips
- You can not lube or free-up the cable.
- A faulty shift interruptor switch will cause difficult shifting, not stalling.
- Once a drive shift cable causes stalling, it must be replaced.
- Damage, injury or death can occur should your boat stall while manoeuvring near a dock or other boats.
- If the engine stalls when pulling into neutral it does NOT mean your shift interruptor switch is bad.
- Damage to your drives clutch and shifting components can occur if the cable is bad and you keep using the boat.
- A bad shift cable to the drive can cause the engine to stall.
Warnings
- Read your owners manual and all safety precautions.
- Keep clear of all moving parts.
- Remove your prop if running the engine out of the water.
Source
https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Your-Mercruiser-from-Stalling-when-Shifted