Selectric Jumps Out of Gear then Back Into Gear

[swire]

This engine is driving me nuts. It's a 1965 75HP Evinrude StarFlite with electric shift. It would randomly die on me which I traced back to a bad ignition wire. Then a point went bad. I finally got it running and took it on the water only to have the throttle cable break. Before the cable broke I was able to get it to open up and go.<br /><br />That brings me to my current problem, while at full throttle the motor would occassionaly act like it was shifted out of gear into neutral, the boat would slow and the engine would rev higher but then after a second it would jump back into gear and everything was fine. Then awhile later it would happen again. I didn't hear any clunk or grinding.<br /><br />Since it's an electric shift and I've already had bad wires, could this be caused by a bad wire that just occassionally shorts out?<br /><br />Also I have water getting into the lower unit. Could the water mixed in with the gear oil be the cause?<br /><br />I've read that it could be the clutch dogs slipping but from what I've read there should have been a clunk or grinding as the clutch was slipping.<br /><br />Any help would be appreciated.

 

[DJ]

Re: Selectric Jumps Out of Gear then Back Into Gear

The water getting in the lower unit isn't doing you any good-for sure.<br /><br />The symptoms you describe sound like either the clutch is letting go or the prop hub is slipping.<br /><br />The prop hub is easy to check. Draw a line with a permanent marker from the inner hub to the outer hub. Run the boat and get it to act up. See if the line is still lined up. If not, the prop hub is slipping. The prop can be rehubbed.

 

[swire]

Re: Selectric Jumps Out of Gear then Back Into Gear

Do all props have a hub that can slip? When looking at the prop it looks like one solid piece with a shear pin to hold it in place. From what I can tell it has an original 1965 aluminum prop on it.<br /><br />If the clutch is letting go would it be able to recatch running at such a high RPM and do so without making any noise?

 

[DJ]

Re: Selectric Jumps Out of Gear then Back Into Gear

Draw the line on the prop and test it.<br /><br />You probably wouldn't hear it pop out of gear, except the engine revving. The gearcase is underwater.

 

[BillP]

Re: Selectric Jumps Out of Gear then Back Into Gear

I had a 1965 75hp Johnson and it jumped in and out of gear without warning. Finally it lost fwd and would only go in reverse...which led to a 5 mile trek back to the dock in reverse! It was a great motor except for that electric foot.<br /><br />The problem was where the lower unit and upper unit shift wires connected. There is one wire for fwd and one for reverse. If memory serves right it was on the right side down near the lower unit and behind a cover plate. The fwd wire was frayed and most of the insulation was missing or cracked. I clipped the ss knife type connectors, spliced the ss wires and sealed heavily with high temp silicone. That fixed it.