120 force stuck in reverse

[newfieboater]

The other day my motor jammed in reverse, managed to get it out by turning the prop by hand and shifting the lever at the same time.Later on in the day it happened again , this time there was a grinding sound as it went into reverse, and i hav'nt been able to get it out of reverse since. i disconnected the linkage at the motor and shifted manually but the prop stays turning in reverse. Any ideas to what the problem might be.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: 120 force stuck in reverse

Towards the front bottom of the lower unit there is a screw head. This is a pivot screw that allows the shifter to move the clutch to either forward, neutral or reverse. If this pin inside the gear housing broke it could be what is causing your problem. The big problem is the only way to find out what is going on is to take the lower unit apart. This is not real difficult however you will need a service manual and a new seal kit. The grinding sound you mentioned is not a good sign. Hopefully nothing is damaged but the only way to find out is to tear it apart.