The boating season is moving along while I am still on for screwing with my boat.
In 2021 the VP outdrive was completely rebuilt and reinstalled but not tested at end of the season
In 2022 got boat in the water and it would not shift. Got a mobile marine mechanic (mistake) who said it first was the shift cable then the shift control. He wanted to get a used shift control off eBay. I got a new shift control and brought it to a boat repair shop. He installed it and adjusted the shift.
Next the boat still on a work rack the boat would sound a warning alarm. Ordered a Diacom to read the codes. Overheating. Ordered a cooling system test kit. Then a second. Cooling system would hold pressure for 20 min. Then wiped off the dirt on a sticker on the cooling system reservoir so I could read it which said to fill the reservoir with coolant and run at 1500 RPM to remove trapped air. Did that and no more overheating. Never used it, only tested at dock.
This year got it ready to go and won't shift. Decided to do more of my own work. Pulled outdrive cover and popped off shift cable and shifted the outdrive with fingers and shifted OK. Shift control would shift fine. Reattached the shift cable and the outdrive would shift fine from the shift control.
Now ready to take it out for a test.
I am thinking I never needed to replace the shift cable or shift control and the problem all along was it was stiff from a rebuild and not being used all winter.
And for the overheating, had I read the label, filled the reservoir and run at 1500 RPM to remove the trapped air I would not have spent time messing with things related to possible overheating.
This is a new boat to me with more engine electronics.
Frustrated it's taking so long for me to figure things out. Local boat shops mainly want to work on outboards. I don't mind doing the work but each day working on the boat is a day I am not using the boat.