Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

I have a 1971 Evinrude 25 hp that for some reason is stuck in drive. Last time I was out, it was running along fine and then when I went to stop..hmm stuck in drive. It has the manual shifter on the side and I tried to move it back and forth but to no avail.

Since I cant start the motor in drive I finally tweaked it toward neutral a little so that it would at least start and let me get off the river (hope i didnt mess it up too much). it wouldn't fully go into neutral, just enough to override the mechanism that blocks starting it.

Anyway I am a total amateur at this motor stuff and I was hoping for a little direction. I believe it is the shifter? and I was wondering how hard it would be for a simpleton like me to get in and work on something like this.

Any advice is greatly appreciated as fishing season is closing in fast. Thanks in advance!

Re: Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

Try lowering the throttle on the tiller or the controls. there is a safety that prevent u from starting the motor at high throttle. take off the hood inspect and see if you can see anything preventing the shifting linkage from moving.

Re: Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

if thats not it you may have broke the screw that the shift lever pivits on down in the lower unit. Drain the lower unit by pulling the bottom flat head screw first then the top flat head screw. after the oil is drained out pull the phillips head screw out that is slightly above the lower drain screw you pulled. This screw is threded up by the bead than it is smooth the rest of the way. This acts as a pivit for the lever that moves the clutch dog back and fourth. if it is broke you could have some issues and will need to take the lu apart

Re: Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

On the side of the leg,There is a plate held with 2 screws.Its the shift rod connection.Remove that plate,Then remove the bottom bolt from the shift rod,Take the shift lever and move it to reverse that should free the shaft connection.Now take a pliers and try moving the lower shift shaft up and down.The above screw advice is something to try but try this first so the screw acts as the pivot.If the shaft doesn't move its in the lower unit,If it shifts to R-N-F its something above.
My guess is the cradle may have broke???

Re: Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

Dont take out the screw with the philips head until uve checked out the motor. If u dont put the screw back in the piviot hole than u can blow the lower unit. If u do tke it out make sure i goes into the piviot hole

Re: Help!! '71 Evinrude 25 hp stuck in drive!

Agree with dew2.