1985 140 Mercruiser Alpha One will not shift into forward gear

[Hole shot]

Worked fine last weeked. today it will not shift into forward gear. backed it out of the lift and would not shift out of reverse. Handle moved just fine but the motor stayed in reverse. Looked at the shift linkage on top of the valve cover seemed to be ok? Shift/throttle lever has been loose but has shifted very smoothly. Thinking a set screw maybe missing at the bottom of the lever. I looked at it but do not see one. Any ideas? thanks for your help

 

[Bt Doctur]

if the cable is moving at the shift lever then you need to remove the drive and inspect everything related to shifting. you may have separated the outer casing from corrosion.

 

[Bt Doctur]

if the cable is moving at the shift lever then you need to remove the drive and inspect everything related to shifting. you may have separated the outer casing from corrosion.

 

[Fishermark]

Try disconnecting the shift cable (leading to the outdrive) where it mounts on the engine. See if it shifts by hand.