Neutral wont engage. On vacation please help.

P

Primo321

Seaman
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Messages
50
1969 mercruiser 3.0 140hp.

Out here in the beautiful upstate ny thousand island region and my engine and out drive are being stubborn to engage neutral.

If I leave in the neutral position it eventually engages sometimes seconds sometimes minutes sometimes not at all.

What should I be looking for in a faulty linkage or shift plate?

I need this vacation !!!

Thanks

B
 
A

Another retired guy

Ensign
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
940
Re: Neutral wont engage. On vacation please help.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert with this but I had a similar problem which turned out was due to the shift cables. As a temporary "fix" I could get the drive into neutral by moving the shift lever slightly into the reverse position then back into neutral.
 
86 century

86 century

Ensign
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
986
Re: Neutral wont engage. On vacation please help.

Does that model have the shift interrupter set up.

If so I would say it has failed.

Try shutting the eng off and see if it will come out of gear.
 
P

Primo321

Seaman
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Messages
50
Re: Neutral wont engage. On vacation please help.

Sticks in gear when I cut the engine. Then has extremely hard time starting since it is the wrong position. Any do it yourself threads on adjustment?
 
Don S

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Neutral wont engage. On vacation please help.

May be nothing more than a binding/stiff shift cable from the control to the engine.
 
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