Help for a friend

[CradGen2]

Looks like this might be the year for issues at our marina.

I have a buddy that has a 2001 Tige with a Mercruiser motor not sure about the model but it is EFI.

Here is the issue. When the boat is first put in the water it shifts into gear smoothly. After in warms up the shifting become difficult, hard and temperamental. We changed the fluid didn't seem to make it better. We checked the linkage and after it warms up the cable and bracket seem to become stressed. The bracket flexes out some.

This is a vdrive, so to do work on the transmission we have to pull the motor, which we are trying to avoid. Any suggestions on what it might be?

[Labatt911]

Th solution is an easy quick fix. Take it to a dealer and trade it in a Nautique !!! Ha Ha just poking some fun.

[CradGen2]

Revised to the below.

Boat goes into gear immediately both fwd and reverse when boat is first run….if boat transmission is not stressed (IE.. general cruising) everything works as normal.
After running with stress or heavy load on transmission, IE….surfing…..the boat lags when going into FWD, unless you push the throttle past the normal detent….neutral and reverse on unaffected by the stress and never act up…..
We are NOT LOOKING AT A SLIPPING situation, just a lag time needed for it to go into FWD gear.
Transmission fluid was switched over to synthetic and changed 3 times in one week thinking that the fluid may be the culprit….this didn’t do anything different….

[RideButter]

With the flexing could the linkage be out of adjustment? Is everything else running great? Are we certain the transmission is the issue? What is the engine idling at?

[WakeSlayer]

I have very little trans experience. However, with respect to older 1:1 BW trans in the CC's of yesteryear, my understanding is you should never use synthetic. Always regular Dexron III or IV. What made you guys want to switch? Have you considered going back to conventional? What does the manual / mfg say?