Merc 40hp clicking noise

[fishhawk90hp]

Hey guys i got a merc 40hp 4 stroke steering control on my boat & i have notice a clicking noise when shifting from forward to reverse while the boat is moving forward. The noise is not their when going into reverse from a idle position. I have taking the shifter apart to check the cable but their is no adjustment their only @ the motor. Their are 2 cables one for the accelerator & the other for the gears. I do not want to adjust the gear cable since all the gears are align correctly on the shifter. I have spoken to a mechanic & he said that clicking noise would not emit from the clutch dog or the gears in the lower unit & the only thing left to question is the shift linkage that's attach to the shift rod. Could it be that when the boat is moving forward & i am moving the shifter from forward into reverse the clutch dog is still spinning clockwise & that bit of resistance from the prop shaft switching to counter clockwise reverse is what causing that clicking? could it be @ where the shift rod meets the prop shaft? i am not sure how those 2 are connected.

 

[fishhawk90hp]

[FONT=&quot]i thought abt what u said adjusting the cable to favor reverse but if i do that inside of the noise happening leaving neutral on my way to reverse wouldn't it start happening leaving forward coming into neutral? i know the noise is definitely the teeth of the clutch dog hitting the top of the ring gear that making the noise & it's only happening when coming of plane as soon as i leave neutral on my way to reverse when the prop shaft is still spinning clockwise & the reverse ring gear is spinning counterclockwise. I think the only way to avoid this noise is to let some rev come off the prop shaft & shift quickly into reverse. what a faulty way for mercury to design a gear case.[/FONT]

 

[MH Hawker]

i would suspect it is the clutch dog, if i just shut the motor off on mine while still moving forward and in gear, i hear mine clicking to

 

[fishhawk90hp]

thanks hawker ur right it's the clutch dog & its normal.

[FONT=&quot]. I myself been struggling with a ratcheting noise I have been hearing coming off plane but it appears that my clutch dog lobes are bevel on one edge so if the prop is spinning clockwise while going into reverse the bevel side of the lobes slip under & out of the reverse gear lobes & create that noise. I was told that How mercury design it so it would stop the prop from spinning in the reverse direction before it turns in the direction of the gear it's in.[/FONT]

 

[merc850]

I don't know if the new ones are the same as the old ones but here's a picture of the standard type from 1950 to 1980 the only thing that moves is the clutch dog - the F gear has ramps that engage and is spring loaded; shutting the motor off in F will cause the ramps to ratchet. Those gears are very hard and will take a fair amount of abuse without damage.

 

[fishhawk90hp]

i would suspect it is the clutch dog, if i just shut the motor off on mine while still moving forward and in gear, i hear mine clicking to

Yes Hawker mines clicks in forward too but not in reverse, i think its the fact that i hit the prop 3 times on rocks & rounded the clutch lobe on that end. Also i was able to check a new 60 hp yammy & the prop does not budge in either gears.

 

[fishhawk90hp]

I don't know if the new ones are the same as the old ones but here's a picture of the standard type from 1950 to 1980 the only thing that moves is the clutch dog - the F gear has ramps that engage and is spring loaded; shutting the motor off in F will cause the ramps to ratchet. Those gears are very hard and will take a fair amount of abuse without damage.

yes Merc i have been reading up on the ramps but my manual does not mention any. As for shutting off the boat & hearing that ratchet noise i believe that's different from the problem am having. To make it simple once ur prop is slipping in a gear turning by hand ur clutch dog is rounded.

 

[racerone]

Not likely that you will find forward gear clutch dog rounded off on that motor.----If you have hit rocks hard you may find a broken tooth on a gear.

 

[fishhawk90hp]

Not likely that you will find forward gear clutch dog rounded off on that motor.----If you have hit rocks hard you may find a broken tooth on a gear.

you are right. their is little damage to the teeth with all that ratcheting.