Shifting cable issue

[joe_db]

Did you get the cable loose? You may be doing a lot of work for nothing.

[ejay]

I forgot to mention that I disengaged the shifting cable from the lever before I started the project. The lever also shifts the reversing gear easily by hand without the cable attached.

[Dave Neptune]

I have been reviewing this post and see no comments as to your perceived neutral issue. Neutral in this transmission is never really engaged as the clutches remain spinning because they are running in oil. This "friction" is what you are experiencing. When I set up a direct drive A-4 I set forward first at the full forward position of the shifter lever in the cockpit. I then make sure that when the shifter is at full forward the detent is engaged. I then adjust the reversing band so that it is engaged at almost full reverse on the cockpit shifter. This gives the "maximum" travel between forward and reverse. Finding the sweet spot at which the clutches friction does not spin the assembly is the position you seek and often just not there . It is different in all of these transmissions due the the wear of the clutches which is almost nil. The viscosity of the oil will have more to do with the shaft slowly spinning in neutral as well as the friction of the packing gland too.
Do be sure to clamp the outer sheath of the cable as secure as possible wherever you mount it.

Dave Neptune

[ejay]

I was able to get a better neutral by turning the adjustment nut a quarter turn. Now I am working on replacing the oil seals and the cross shaft, which means I should probably start a new thread. I apologize for the confusion