Boat goes forward when in reverse

zach175

Cadet
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
7
Have a used 1998 boat I bought this summer with mercury 75hp engine. Did well until yesterday. Put it in reverse and sounded like it was trying to go forward but more slowly and at higher RPM than typical when going forward normally.

I checked under my steering wheel console where the shifter is. There are 2 black cables coming off the shifter. It looks like each is held into the shifter by a little plastic piece that attaches around a gold metal area on each cable. One of those plastic pieces broke and so now 1 cable moves very freely when shifting to where you can actually see the silver looking cable that is underneath the black sheath.

I'm not sure where to get this plastic part that is supposed to hold the cable sheeth against the shifter.
 

Chinewalker

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Aug 19, 2001
Messages
8,902
Find out what controller you have and what cables you're using. Cables should be stamped in the casing somewhere. Controller may say on the cover or handle. OEM cables have a plastic piece moulded onto the cable guide to lock into the controller. Some aftermarket ones have plastic adapters that clip onto the cable to fit the controller. If the controller is aftermarket, all bets are off as to what combination you'll need....
 

zach175

Cadet
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
7
Yes it's just the plastic piece that holds the cable into the controller. cables look to be in good shape. do i have to replace entire cable? having 1 broken like it is and the cable moving around much more freely could this cause the issue with it going in forward when i want it to reverse?
 

EchoNovember

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 25, 2017
Messages
315
This sounds like a comic strip, funny movie scene, or a meme waiting to happen... *Looks over shoulder and shifts into reverse to back away from the launch, ends up running aground instead* I'm visualizing some movie/TV show scenes where this happens in a car.

If this is the plastic part attached to the end of the cable and part of the cable, I doubt that can be replaced on its own. Pictures and part numbers (if possible) would help immensely here. If I understand the description right, one of those cables is the throttle cable, and the other is the shift cable. If the shift cable is broken, then I wouldn't even try going anywhere. Even if you can get it into forward, you may not be able to get it back out, which could already be the case. There is a high likelihood the cable needs to be replaced.
 

Chigwalla

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2017
Messages
109
A broken retainer won't reverse the shift pattern.
Sounds like your shift cable is anchored to the wrong arm inside the control.
And yes, the barrels on Gen 1 cables are part of the assembly and can't be replaced.
 
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