Shifting is super tight

[edge710]

I have a 97 225 evinrude that takes a gorilla to shift in and out of neutral. I asked the mech. if I needed new controlls but he said that it is just common with the older big rudes. Makes it a bear in tight spots or to let someone who is not used it take over sometimes.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Shifting is super tight

Disconnect the shift cable and shift the engine manually. If it shifts easily, the problem is in the cable or controls.

It's not common nor normal for shifting to be that stiff, no matter how old the outboard. My old 1958 35 hp Johnson shifted very easily. Something's wrong, and you'll want to fix it before whatever is causing the stiffness breaks while you're out on the water.

 

[DUKE1]

Re: Shifting is super tight

I have a 99 Johnson 225 and it shifts without much effort. If you have to "muscle" it to get it to work...somethings wrong. If you have the manual for your engine there is a section on throttle and shift cables and they talk about how to adjust them...very easy.

Having a stiff throttle could be bad news in a tight docking situation when you have to "jockey" around other boats.

Good Luck,
D1

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Shifting is super tight

the cables do not like tight bends, makes it really hard.

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: Shifting is super tight

I may be wrong here but I had a set of Merc controls on my '65 Merc that were a bear as well and then I found an adjustment on the control itself tightened fully. It wasn't the cable themselves, but the actual shifter that was stiff. Slacking that off fixed it immediately. Doesn't sound to be exactly the same but something my controls had on them.

 

[edge710]

Re: Shifting is super tight

Since I first got the boat I installed a 9.9 johnson so there is a new dual binnacle control which the handle has broke for the main motor because it is so stiff. ( have to grab by the base of the shift lever). The cables have a nice big loop inside the cc but I will look to see about adjustments or some other problem instead of just taking there word on it being the norm.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Shifting is super tight

Is it indeed hard to shift into forward from neutral or just from forward to neutral?

 

[edge710]

Re: Shifting is super tight

The shifting is tight going from neutral to either gear and from each gear back into neutral.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Shifting is super tight

OK, then refer back to CA's post about unhooking the shift cable and shift by hand at the motor. If it's hard coming out of gear, not into gear, with the motor running it's a different issue. CA's got you on the right track.