'76 135 lower unit not engaging

This engine engages and goes in reverse no problem, you go to put it in forward and it just makes a loud clicking noise and won't engage fully, it sort of slips in and out of gear, jerking while it makes this clicking noise, if you give it full throttle it will engage and go, but at idle, while docking it just clicks and jerks. I was thinking the clutch dog is shot, but would it still go into reverse and WOT with no problem, with a bad clutch dog? Motor is new to me so I have no idea what it's been through. The skeg has been busted off halfway and filed down smooth, so that's a good indication that it's hit something. Repowering the boat anyway, but just figured I try to figure this lower unit problem out. Power head runs good, has 120psi compression on all 4. So would be a good engine if I could fix the lower unit or stick a new on on. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Re: '76 135 lower unit not engaging

Hello Mr. Frank Mundas??<br />Might simply be the shift rod height adjustment is out of whack. Won't cost ya anything but an hour or two to check and adjust. Have you tried relasing the shift cable and shifting manually to rule out the controls?<br />Good luck

Re: '76 135 lower unit not engaging

Wow angus, you are one of the first people to know where that name came from. Most people ask what the name means and have no idea about Mundas. Anyway, I was thinking about the shift rod height, but I figured if it were off it would affect reverse also, I guess I could just pull the lower unit and check it out, but the guy who I got it from swears that it didn't do that last season and said he actually went out on it a week before I bought it and didn't do that. The lower unit hasn't been removed recently so I don't think the shiftrod height has been changed, and the noise that comes out of it does not sound healthy. If I manually shift into gear without the cable, I shouldn't be able to turn the prop, correct? Thanks.

Re: '76 135 lower unit not engaging

bump

Re: '76 135 lower unit not engaging

Shift rod is engaging fine and I can not turn the prop while it is in gear. Any ideas what could be wrong with this L/U? When it's not under load it slips into gear and spins prop fine in both froward and reverse, also goes into neutral correctly. As soon as it gets in the water and gets some load on it, reverse works fine but it is hard to get it to engage forward.