98 Speedster - Reverse bucket adjustment?

[rkkoeb]

So I have a 98 speedster and notice that when I have the lever in "F" position and try to pull back to neutral it seams to be hard to do. I removed the cable from the bucket and the lever goes back and forth very easy. When I connect the cable back onto the bucket it is hard to mover the lever back and forth. Reverse to neutral works pretty good just not from forward back to reverse. How can I improve this?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

There's an machined aluminum forward position catch on the buckets that sometimes hangs if it's worn and a repair kit available, or maybe your shift cable needs to be replaced? Shift cables are somewhat vulnerable to salt water over time salt gets in them and jambs the inner wire with solids, not so much fresh water, usually just physical damage or abuse.

If your cable is bad, a new one is a much better choice over trying to free it up, you'll be amazed at how it restores the actuation over a worn sticky cable.

 

[rkkoeb]

Boat has never been in salt water. I already replaced the alum bracket and spring on the bucket. When I remove the cable from the bucket the cable is smooth action so I don't think it is the cable

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Well you have to decide if it's the cable of course but it sounded like it only worked pretty good coming out of reverse, which raised some doubt.

These cables can wear out internally and lubricating them just doesn't work in my experience b/c the wire inside gets pinched in the worn groove. If the bucket moves smoothly by itself then there are two parts remaining, cable and shifter itself. Bent (as in mishandled or abused) cables always bind.

Try loosening the outer jacket on both ends of the cable and rotating the outer jacket to a new position, and see if that frees it up. If yes, this points directly to a worn cable.

 

[rkkoeb]

Does anyone know the proper way to adjust the cable/bucket and what else I should be looking for