I have a 1971 50ESL71S Johnson Outboard. I cannot get the motor to shift to neutral. I'm assuming that since its still in gear, this is the reason the starter will not turn over. I have a new battery installed and have confirmed the starter will turn over with the solenoid bypassed. I also noticed that when shifting gears at the shift lever, the linkage at the motor never moves. This is a hydro-electric system and, honestly, I'm not real familiar with how its supposed to work. I'm assuming it takes an electrical action to drive the hydraulics, but....shouldn't the motor linkage still move when the shift lever is moved? I tried moving the motor linkage by hand and its very difficult. And, I never hear any of the gears engage. Could I have a shift solenoid issue? I just need some simple advice on where to begin troubleshooting.
Jeff
Jeff