69 ?? johnson drive slips out

[hickninshaw]

i have a 69 johnson outboard and i have a problem with it slipping out of gear the faster you go. basically anything faster than no wake speeds and it slipps out. it was fine all day till i turned back to head into dock and when i went to take it up to speed it had power up to bout 10mph and then then the drive started to slip out. not familiar with these systems so any advise on where to start and what to look for. i dont have manual for it and so far no ones posts i can find covers this. would low oil lvl or a warn seal in the lower end cause this. drive was clunking into forward and reverse prior to this but never seemed to bother anything.

 

[kd6nem]

Re: 69 ?? johnson drive slips out

A bit more info would be very helpful here. Which '69 Johnson are we talking about? I know the '68 & '69 55 horse has a hydroelectric lower unit which can do strange things when the fluid is low or the wrong type. Or the prop hub could be slipping, or the motor/prop might not be far enough into the water. Do you have the motor idling unusually fast when you shift? A few more details will help us know where to start.<br /><br />The clunking you mention is not something to ignore. I'm not sure exactly what you're describing- whether it is when it is supposed to be shifting (likely normal/OK) or at other times (not OK). How long has it done this? Consistently? Might be as simple as needing more lube if it is indeed a hydro-electric. If it seems to be malfunctioning I'd change the lower unit fluid and see if there are metal particles or water in there. Remember a hydro-electric LU take different fluid than a regular LU- again we don't know which you have. Be sure you know which you have before deciding which fluid to put in there. Also be sure which plug to remove since there is often a second "plug" which should never be removed since it will be a real bear to get back in with the innards it was holding still aligned properly.

 

[JB]

Re: 69 ?? johnson drive slips out

Johnson Troubles topic