Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Can anybody help me figure out what is going on? I just got a 1996 z201 Talari 5.7 Liter Merc. The boat is awesome with the exception of one thing. When I am taking the throttle lever out of neutral and getting into gear it will make a grinding sound. to get past the grinding noise you have to push forward even further on the throttle. This inevitably causes the boat to lurch forward as the RPM's are up a bit and the gear catches. Makes it hard to dock the boat smoothly. Any Ideas? Let me know if I didn't explain the problem well enough. Thanks in advance.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Well, it could be a possibility of many things but here's some common ones...
#1 you're putting the boat in gear too slowly (I know sounds strange)
#2 your shift cable needs to be adjusted....
#3 your engine isn't being killed while shifting..

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Mariahmaroo,

I'll go with the shift cable being out of adjustment. You appear to be getting throttle before the shift is complete. Sometimes people try this as a means of not replacing a defective rear shift cable. It is not a good solution.

Shabah 198SE

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Thank you. Is there a known procedure for checking the shift cable adjustment. How much are they to replace?

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Yep, i agree that its likely an adjustment needed on the shift cable. For the procedure, give this site a look.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Nice.
Shift cable for dummies.

You can also get an oem Mercruiser manual online. I haven't read it as I have a seloc manual, but downloaded it as a reference.
Not sure if it's copyrighted so pm me for the link.

My 225 always has a slight tickle, but the motor does not increase rpms before there is a positive shift.
I stuff the shifter quickly to aviod grinding.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

if your drive has never been removed, do it now before it costs you lots of money.

the drive line has 2 u-joints that need lubed. At the same time it isnt that hard to take a look at the tranny and verify that you dont have chipped teeth or a worn shift fork.

Mine too was making a grinding/growling sound before it exploded.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Aren't the U-joints sealed? How did you lube them? I am a pretty good mechanic and this particular problem doesn't seem like it would be in the U-Joints. The cable as mentioned above seems more likely. With that said, I still plan to pull the outdrive off and take a look because it is always better to be safe than sorry. That grinding sound has got to have worn something, so I will be checking for that. Thanks.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

What drive is on it?

Bravo Three's should not grind.
I don't know about Bravo Ones or Twos?
As near as I understand, it's normal for an Alpha to grind a little. Not saying it's normal to lurch forward though.

Re: Grinding noise when first put in gear
 

Mine is a B3 and it had a slight grind/growl before letting loose.

My boat doctor replaced the u-joints with serviceable units. Cant tell you what they were before hand, as there was only pieces left and no complete assemblies to examine.