OMC electric contral box

[wheresmybobber!]

I've got a 76 23 foot apollo with a 302 and OMC electric shift. At some point before I purchased the boat the previous owner had replaced the stock contral box and installed a 3 way toggle switch for Forward/Nuetral/Reverse. I have now lost my forward gear twice (as in broke the spring in the lower gear case) and I'm thinking this has a lot to do with the forward reverse switch. I was wondering if I need to go back to the old style 3 button Johnson/Omc contral box or if there is another option. I have located three of the Johnson/Omc contral boxes on EB and if this is the way I need to go I have no problem picking one up.

Next question, do the older 3 switch setups have a delay or go into gear slower? Just not sure how they work.

Thanks Mike

[budnate]

no delay, they just shift the coil to make the shift, be cautious of the used boxes most are crap we looked at, seaway had one new one left I think it was $600,

we went through this last summer, a toggle is just fine to shift with, do you have it idleing to high?? ours shifted like butter once we had good elec signal to the outdrive.

[wheresmybobber!]

I've got it idling at about 500 rpm. It slipped out of gear trying to get on plain leaving the boat ramp friday and as I put it in gear to go back to the ramp it shifted forward then lost the gear.

Mike

[fishkisser]

Check all your connections and if possible get a jumper wire and disconnect power to the switch ...
And then check the ohm resistance on each control wire from the switch and the 3 way switch itself ...

[wheresmybobber!]

I'm positive I broke the spring in the lower unit again. I've only had this rebuilt lower unit on the boat since March. Kills me to have to dump a couple hundred more to rebuild that lower unit for a secound time. I'm trying to prevent this from happening again since its the secound time in 6 months. Just not sure if the older 3 switch box is worth installing if it does the same thing a 3 way toggle will.