1966 6hp Evinrude won't shift out of reverse

[ckendall2031]

I have a 1966 6hp Evinrude Fisherman. I shifted it into reverse, then tried to shift it back to neutral and forward. The lever moved very easily, but did not shift it out of reverse. I moved it back and forth several times, but it would not come out of reverse, again moving very freely through neutral and foward. I then pushed the lever toward reverse with some additional pressure and the lever clicked and spun all the way around counter-clockwise. Now it just spins 360 deg and is stuck in reverse.

Any idea what is wrong with it? I guess the 376922 (lever & bushing) is now damaged.

Also, how do I get to these parts to repair them? Will I be able to drop the gear unit and the lower unit without removing the power head and carborator?

[Cap'n Chaos]

The bolt to the shift rod connector could have come loose... or some parts could have broken.

Dropping the lower is not a big deal... remove a few bolts and the bolt to the shift rod connector and the lower is free.

You should be able to order these parts, if needed, from your Evinrude dealer.... or you can get used parts from salvage yards. There is a list of them in the "top secret files".

[Cap'n Chaos]

I'm pretty sure you have to remove the powerhead to replace the lever/bushing but someone will be along shortly with an answer.

[1946Zephyr]

Yes, that is true. You don't need to remove the powerhead on these to remove the lower unit, but if the shifter breaks....Yep. I'm betting that you broke something inside when it decided to spin 360 degrees. There's a good chance you have issues inside the lower unit too.

[F_R]

The shifter lever is permanently attached to a shaft that goes through the exhaust housing. On the inner end of that shaft is another small lever. A pivot pin and a couple of nuts secure the shift rod to that inner lever.

Your inner lever is broken, or the nuts have come off, or the pivot pin has come outof the lever. One of the above---guaranteed. The powerhead must come off, there is no other way.

Forget about the lower unit, the problem is NOT down there.

[1946Zephyr]

I dunno I would check the oil in the lower to make sure that something isn't ugly down there though.

[samo_ott]

If the shift lever is rotating 360 you gotta pull the powerhead. It's down below somewhere.

[raczekp1]

part no 24 break

[F_R]

Rethinking the problem. The parts I described were for an older model. The pivot pin and nuts were replaced with a shift rod with a simple bend on the upper end (#65).

Now, the inner lever #24 may still be broken.

OR, one of the # 60 screws may have fallen out of the #58 shift rod connector, down above the gearcase. If that is true, I don't really know if the shifter handle could be rotated 360 or not. IF it is possible, the upper shift rod would merely be stroking up and down as you do, without moving the lower shift rod.

I still lean toward the inner lever, but may be fooled.

[1946Zephyr]

Yep, I would lean towards the inner lever myself. Those are a pretty weak spot on those little boogers.