Hard Shifting Kodiak

4 REEL · 07-31-2006, 03:20 PM

My buddy has a 95 21' Thunderjet with a 350 Chev and a 3Stage Kodiak.
It has the dual controls,one throddle and one shifter. When shifting to reverse you almost have to stand on the lever to close the gate even at an idle. It's not possable off an idle. The throw with no pressure (engine off) is fine. Well I disconnected the cable from the gate lever inside the transom. The cable moves freely and the gate seems to work fine as well.
Is there a possable upgrade on the gade or might this just be an inherate problem with this pump.
I have operated Berkley's and others and they never seemed to have this problem.

tadpoly · 07-31-2006, 06:38 PM

Try this:

Disconnect the shaft that runs through the transom by removing the pin at the cable and the keeper pin at the gate. Remove the shaft and clean with steel wool. The nylon (plastic) bushing at the transom that the shaft slides in needs to be cleaned and then lubricated with lithium grease or marine bearing grease. Put it all back together, remember to grease the bearing that goes over the shaft at the gate as well. If you use the boat in salt, this will need repeated several times a season to keep the gate moving freely.

One more thing, make sure the cable is attached on the top hole to the shaft arm to get the maximum "lever" effect.

Good Luck.

swampy · 07-31-2006, 08:45 PM

My kodiak got sticky going to reverse. I took apart the lever (controls) up front and greased it up. It was kind of goobered up. Also grease the shaft and levers off the transom above the pump as tadpolly pointed out.

fishingls · 08-01-2006, 02:27 PM

On the pump, the plate with a cammed cut slot that shifts the gate up and down---this plate has a stainless steel roller in it. The roller is held in by a 3/8 inch bolt. Remove this roller and if it has surfaces which are worn flat, replace it. This solved a hard shifting problem I had on a prior boat with the Kodiak pump.

4 REEL · 08-01-2006, 06:15 PM

Thanks for all of the replies. We have worked over the controler end and the lever and shaft through the transom already.
Will make sure the conection on the lever is in the proper hole and work over the cam plate next.
It just seem odd that it works fine untill you load it up. Not really likeing the gate cam plate idea they have.