When in gear prop moves very slowly and engine will not rev up

[Ianlinares]

Hi guys once again my boat is acting up. 1987 4.3l V6 OMC Sea Ray Seville. The engine seems to be fine. She startup fine, she idles nice. If I disengage the throttle she revs really nice as well, but if I put her in gear she runs very slowly. No weird sounds or anything just the prop turns slowly and the engine doesn't seem to rev up at all. Just stays at idle. Same in forward and reverse. With the engine off if I put it in gear and try to turn the prop I can't she's locked so it doesn't seem like a spun prop. What do you think is happening here?

Thanks,

 

[wrench 3]

Is the throttle linkage on the side of the carburetor moving the same distance when in gear and in throttle only?
Is the gear shift bracket tripping the interrupter switch when it's in gear?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Pull the top of the drive off and see if anything in there is bad?
Check / change the oil?

 

[southkogs]

Is this happening on the trailer, or only under load in the water?

 

[Ianlinares]

To follow up on this one. It seems to be the controller. When the throttle button is down if you push throttle all the way forward it opens the throttle body all the way, but in gear it was hardly opening. After a couple try's it started opening the throttle body all the way while in gear. Seems like something is loose or getting stuck in the controller. I'm gonna try taking it apart and rebuilding it next weekend. I have feeling the controller is going to be a pain to take off

 

[boobie]

Give us an update if you can.

 

[Ianlinares]

I've taken the controller apart cleaned it and regreased it. I think I put it together wrong though because now it's all messed up the throttle only button doesn't want to work and it is idling really high

 

[colo1evan]

Where is this "throttle only" button? do you squeeze the shifter to activate the "throttle only" button?
Typically you pull the shifter handle towards the center of the boat / away from the side of the boat to engage neutral.
Squeeze the button on the handle to shift into gear with engine running.
Can you remove the shift cable from the drive with minimal issues? This would be a great way to make sure that the shift cable is free and not hanging up.