Help..Acquired 1968 Formula Thunderbird

We recently were given a 1968 Formula Thunderbird outboard. It was last on the water I think they said in 1995? We are going to continue to fix her up completely. It has a 1968 Evinrude 85 HP motor and we got the motor running but when our sons tried it out in the lake, it will only go in reverse. They have worked really hard to get it this far. I e-mailed the Formula website about what kind of canopy to get since this one is gone and they told me they couldn't help me! Oh boy! The person who gave us the boat is going to attempt to find the manual but if it is not found is there someone who could give us some suggestions about why it will only go in reverse and not forward.

Thanks a bunch!

Re: Help..Acquired 1968 Formula Thunderbird

tpitts1961 said:

It has a 1968 Evinrude 85 HP motor and we got the motor running but when our sons tried it out in the lake, it will only go in reverse.

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Hey, welcome aboard the iBoats forums.

If they took the outdrive off, likely the linkage is not correctly connected. Hop over to the Evenrude/Johnson Outdrive forum and ask them and you will find someone with the exact style of motor who will tell you exactly how to fix it.

I know on my 2000 Mercury it is a dance between shifting it in forward, setting the outdrive into forward and getting the two linkages match... I am sure it is nothing big. It could be a shift lever as well, but that ain't that hard either, but you will have to buy a part