[redfiveshoe]

Hello,
I am new to boating and have found that this site contains a wealth of info for the beginner. Hope you help once again.
My motor either stays in forward all of the time or sometimes it won't go into gear at all. I can crank the motor and try to put it in gear and it will just rev up with no prop turn. Othertimes I can crank the motor and the prop will turn immediately even though I have not put it in gear.(this is how it is now) It has no neutral. Either way, I do not have reverse. I have tried to turn the prop with it in neutral, but it does not turn. I took the control cable loose from the side of the motor and tried to shift it manually, but it didn't work. Worried that it might be something in the gear box, I drained the oil from the foot to see if there were any metal shavings. There was no metal, but the oil was a milk chocolate color.(is it supposed to be?) I have also taken the prop off and nothing seems to be wrong there.

Where do I go from here? What else could it be? When you post your reply, keep in mind that I am an absolute beginner and not a mechanic by any means, but I want to learn. So you cannot be to detailed in your reply.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[redfiveshoe]

anybody?????

[bgreg]

#1 Your lower unit oil should not look like a chocolate milk shake when you drain the oil. You have water mixing with the oil. You shoukld have someone it is knowledgeable do this repair and they can check your shifting problems at the same time. Does this engine have forward controls?? If it does it maybe a simple linkage adjustment.

Hope this gets your started in the right direction.