boat stuck in forward gear

[psi600]

I just got done replacing my 1984 mercruiser 260 with a early 1990 mercruiser 350ci. When I put my outdrive back on and started it back up, it is in gear and it wont go out of gear. It is always going forward. Any ideas of what I can do to get it running tomarow.

Thanks

 

[cr2k]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

I would say you got the shift foot messed up. Did you do the drive remove/replace in forward gear? This is as important as breathing on a Mercruiser.

 

[psi600]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Yes I did, but when I went to put the out drive back on it would not go back on until I put it into neutral. I knew I shouldn't have done that but it was the only way it would go on.

 

[cr2k]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Then your shift foot got moved. You should have been able to put it back on.

You will have to remove the drive and start over making both the control box and the drive are in forward gear and the shift foot is facing forward.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Does the control handle move freely back and forth? If it does , it sounds like your upper shift shaft arm has slipped out of the shift fork on the slider at the end of the shift cable. One more thought, did you take the lower (gearcase) off the outdrive to change the impeller? If it is the slider, you need to pull the outdrive back far enough to reposition it. Make sure that the shift shafts are pointing straight ahead when you do that.

 

[psi600]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

What does the shift foot look like? I see there is a plastic piece on the transome assembley that the lower unit slides on and there some other piece in the lower unit itself.

Thanks

 

[stonyloam]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

What does the shift foot look like? I see there is a plastic piece on the transome assembley that the lower unit slides on and there some other piece in the lower unit itself.

Thanks

Raise the outdrive and look underneath. You will see a shaft (intermediate) coming out of the outdrive housing and mating up with a shaft (upper) coming out of the bottom of the bellhousing. The top of the intermediate shift shaft fits into a channel on the bottom of the upper shift shaft. When you have the control in forward, both face straight ahead and the intermediate shift shaft will slide out of the coupler of the upper shift shaft.

 

[dubs283]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

the shift foot is located at the front of the drive behind the most forward nut that holds the drive halves together- brass piece about 1"x1/2" and sticking up roughly 2"

you must have the shift foot facing straight forward, making sure the drive itself is in forward gear - you can do this by truning the u-joint drive shaft and watching the prop turn clockwise

if the prop does not turn clockwise - you need to split the drive halves and enusre the lower is in forward and the foot is facing forward when re assembling the drive halves

then when installing the drive make sure the shift fork in the bell housing is straight, allowing the shift foot to slide into it freely - this is in forward gear on the remote

 

[psi600]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Does the control handle move freely back and forth? If it does , it sounds like your upper shift shaft arm has slipped out of the shift fork on the slider at the end of the shift cable. One more thought, did you take the lower (gearcase) off the outdrive to change the impeller? If it is the slider, you need to pull the outdrive back far enough to reposition it. Make sure that the shift shafts are pointing straight ahead when you do that.

It moves but not freeley at all.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

It moves but not freeley at all.

Sounds like the shift arm. What happens is you have a little wheel on the end of the upper shift shaft arm that is supposed to be captured between the two arms on the shift cable slider. When you shift into forward, the slider moves aft. I suspect that the wheel is behind the arms on the slider, so when you shift out of forward and the slider moves forward it is not pulling the upper shift arm forward. That is why you had to put it in N to get it on. Pretty easy solution. Unbolt and slide the outdrive back far enough to position the upper shift arm wheel between the slider arms. You should not have to take it all the way off. Just make sure that the shift shoe is facing directly forward when you slide the outdrive back. Of course I could be wrong, in any case you will have get in there to see what is wrong. Good luck.

 

[cr2k]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

That also is possible. Use some heavy grease on the slide to hold it in place.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

I always have trouble holding the slide in place, I'm gonna get me one of these: http://www.mercstuff.com/shiftcable1.htm

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Here is the shift foot mentioned above-- 1st photo by Ziggy: in this photo the shifter is in reverse. Forward is straight. That is the bottom of the shift shaft in the bellhousing that Terry mentioned might not be installed correctly.

2nd photo by Fishermark showing the upper arm of that shift shaft Terry mentioned.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Eric, that neutral in the pic, reverse is a bit farther to the right.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: boat stuck in forward gear

Eric, that neutral in the pic, reverse is a bit farther to the right.

thanks for correcting me.