gears click loud is it normal?

well i just got a used boat and when i go to put this in forward or reverse i hear the gears clicking in(oud noise).then after the gear is in its good until i go back to reverse or forward again is this normal for this outboard 1990 force 125 to do this or is there something that has to be fixed or replaced.
If anybody can help out it would be great.
thanks.........

Re: when put in forward you get loud noise as gears lock in?

Re: when put in forward you get loud noise as gears lock in?

Sounds like you may be easing it into gear which is wrong for an outboard. Put it in gear with a swift motion. Those gears are not syncronized and will grind if slowly put in gear.

Re: gears click loud is it normal?

yeah actually i put it into gear slowly.so you think by putting it into gear a bit quicker is ok.this will not damage right because by doing it slow they grind..ok sound good will try this thanks..if there is any more stuff i should know would be great as i said i'm new to this...thanks

Re: gears click loud is it normal?

I have had an 85hp for over 8 years and mine does the same thing now matter how fast u shift. I have even read on these forums that chryslers are known for that noise. Hopefully everything is fine but if I where you and wanted to be certain I would drop the lower end and inspect the gears and shaft. Best of luck

Re: gears click loud is it normal?

The forward and reverse gears have a drive dog that will engage into the face of the gears opposite the tooth side of the gears. The part of the dog and gear that lock together and drive the gears are nothing more than 3 equally spaced keyways that ramp down an angled surface until they catch the flat faced area and lock into position and drive the gear. If you let them grind too long, the flat faced area will start to wear and angle into itself and will ride up out of position. This will cause the grinding you are hearing. If yours does lock in, you are o.k. If it wont stay in, you can do like I did and machine the dog and both gears so the driving face is square again. I saved $100's by doing this. The gear teeth on my gears are in great condition, but the drive keys were trashed. A couple hours on a milling machine, a carbide end mill and a dividing head is all I needed. If anyone else is interested in this repair, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks

Re: gears click loud is it normal?

well mine goes into gear and stays in gear so i think i'm ok.Thanks for all the help....Any more info is always wellcome.

thanks.....