Need new shift cable

[Jplantenberg]

I’m new to the forum and I’ve been doing some digging around here for an answer but I’ve come up empty handed. I’ve got a 1996 Sugar Sand Mirage and I had the shift cable break on me while out on the water. Does anyone know what the part number is for the replacement cable? It sure would be nice to have neutral and reverse again. I had to tie the bucket in the up position just to limp it back to the dock. Thanks in advance

 

[db199]

I am not the best person to give you an answer but I will try to help you get started. I haven't had to replace mine yet but I have looked into it a little bit when I thought I might need to change mine. This advice is what I have learned form others on here. Someone else might be able to give you a better answer.
First you should go to mercurymarine.com
Then click the button that says "launch online catalog". There will be a place to select "Jet Drive - sport jet"
It is best if you know your engine's serial number. This is located on the side of your flywheel at the top of the engine.
Look for your model of engine and then for your the range of serial number that your engine would be included in.
(There is also a place at the top to put in your serial number to make it a little easier)
The throttle and shift cables are located in the accessories section of the catalog. Now this is where it gets tricky.
They have several different lengths of cables. I assume this is because that engine can be in boats of all different sizes, requiring different cable lengths.
Apparently the length of your cable is stamped on the side of your old cable. You would use this to get the proper length of the replacement.
They have several lengths of shift cables and several lengths of throttle cables. Just make sure you select the right one and the right size.
I believe you can order it from them if they have it in stock or you can copy the part number and do a google search for it to find a different vendor or check out one of the popular sites like boats.net, westmarine.com, crowleymarine.com etc.
Sometimes the prices vary widely so I suggest doing a lot of searching to find the best price. Ebay has been a good place for me to look for parts too as long as I have the part number. My only concern with using that is someone might be selling very old stock that might not be in the freshest condition. (rubbers can degrade over time for example)
I am not sure the exact procedure to replace it but I have seen other threads on here about replacing cables.
Good luck! I wish I could be of more help but hopefully this is at least someplace to start your search. I know how frustrating it can be to find parts for these old boats from personal experience.

 

[Jplantenberg]

Shifter cable= 8ft in length

So after a lot of hunting online and again coming up with nothing conclusive I just ended up pulling my shift cable out and measured it at 8ft. Hopefully this will help others out.