200 HP Evinrude 1998 "bucking" in reverse

[paulgs]

I have a 1998 Evinrude 200 hp (carburetor not FICHT). It runs great in forward gear and idles nicely in neutral. However, when I shift into reverse, the engine bucks and makes clunking noises. I'm in the northeast and boat is in winter storage. I would like to get the problem solved before I put it back in the water. I'm new at this so I won't be doing the repairs myself. What are the possible causes? If I don't do anything will the problem get bigger and more costly? I've read other posts and people mention a clutch dog. What is this? Is it expensive to replace/repair? Help (thanks).

[OBJ]

Might be just a simple shift cable adjustment issue paulgs.Disconnect the shift cable at the engine and shift into reverse manually. If the problem disapears, it's just an adjustment problem. Reset the cable.The clutch dog is the part in the lower unit that engages the forward or reverse gear that makes the boat go. It's really not a common thing for a clutch dog lobes to wear out in reverse....usually it's the forward lobes on the dog that wear out.Give the manual shift a shot and let us know what happens.

[R.Johnson]

You have'nt said what size boat the engine is on. If it is a large boat with the engine set back, are you pulling the engine deep into the water with to much throttle in reverse? If so, you could be having an exhaust restriction causing the engine to bogg down, and jerk.