shift cable path

[Jim Booth]

My shift cable runs down from the cockpit, forward around the front of the engine, then wraps under the exhaust manifold before connecting to the reverse gear lever. A friend down the dock has an A4 with the shifter farther aft in the cockpit. His runs down then forward to the reversing gear lever, connecting at the end below the shaft - no wrap around the engine. I could easily move his mechanism by hand at the reversing gear lever, and it didn't take much effort to snap it into forward by hand either. I've adjusted mine so it doesn't slip in forward at full power (it will slip at one notch looser). His could be adjusted looser than mine, so maybe it slips at full power - I don't know. So I'm wondering if I could reduce the required shifting force and improve the overall feel by routing it the way his is. There is no U-turn in his cable like there is in mine. I presume I would still use a cable with the same travel (4")?

Thanks,
Jim