1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

[Scubasteve007]

I took my boat out for a blast yesterday and to do a little fishing and when I wanted to head in the motor wouldn't go into gear. Forward or reverse. It would just stay in neutral but it would would rev up in either position on the shifter as I pushed down on it.

It appears that everything was moving under the cover so I'm not thinking that it would be cable or control box related but maybe if the cable/linkages are getting tight somewhere it might not be moving the shift cable quite enough to engage in either gear. I couldn't really spend much time playing with it out on the water as is was starting to get dark by this point and I had to get back in. Good thing for the electric trolling motor!

I am pretty sure I will eventually figure it out when I get a chance to play with it again, but I was just wondering if any of you have any ideas what it could be. The motor is super clean, and has never been anywhere near salt water so corrosion should not be an issue anywhere.

Thanks guys!

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

Try removing the cable and seeing if you can get it in to gear by hand.
Always nice to know you have a back up to get back in, tows here a very expensive if the coast guard needs to come out

 

[racerone]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

Does the shift rod move up and down ?------Look where it enters the lower unit.------------Anything on the magnetic oil plug for the lower unit ?

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

You may need to turn the flywheel slightly as you move the shifter arm to get it to engage.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

Or just rotate the prop. It's easier on that motor.

 

[Scubasteve007]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

Thanks guys! I prob won't get a chance to look at it for a week or so now.

 

[Scubasteve007]

Re: 1993 Evinrude 150 not shifting

Thank you for all your comments. It turned out to be the shifter cable itself. Once I pulled the cover and lower cowl off I was able to easily undo the cable at the motor. Once that was done I could easily move the shifter in and out of both forward and reverse.

At the control box end of the cable there is a little plastic plug-type thing that is cast to the cable sheathing. That is what the clamp holds on to so that when you move the shifter only the inner part of the cable moves. The plastic thingy was broken and was allowing the cable sheathing to move back and forth when I was moving the shifter, so that the inner was not moving enough to shift from neutral to forward or reverse. It would move just enough to start a little grinding noise at times, which was basically just starting to engage the gears but not enough for it to go in to gear.

Anyways it was an easy fix, and inexpensive as well. A local shop here gave me 5 cables to take home to try, as I didn't know what length I needed at that point. It turned out that I needed an 11 foot cable and there was 2 in the bundle of cables that I had brought home to try.

The guy wanted $20 for a cable so I gave him $40 and kept another one as a back-up. The throttle uses the same one so if I ever have a problem with it I will have the part to fix it!

Thanks again everyone!

Steve