Wont shift into gear

R

Raymiltier

Member
OK guys so I took the boat out yesterday, and wouldn't you know it Murphy's Law was in full effect. after a day of fishing with no problems I crank her up to head in and I've got no forward gear, just throttle reverse is OK but it doesn't even act like it wants to go into gear. I can throttle her up and nothing worked fine before our last drift so I'm perplexed. After a call to my Dad he instructed me to try and adjust the small cylinder that is threaded onto the shift cable, that didn't work. Any Ideas?

Mercruiser 165 I/O
 
How did you get back to the ramp? :head: How old are the shifter cables and do they look to be in good shape? Almost sounds like something broke or popped loose?
 
My buddy towed me in the cable is in good shape, it moves fine when i push the shift lever and goes into reverse without a problem.
 
Disconnect the cable from the shifter, then with the engine off manually shift the engine into forward gear and then try and spin the prop by hand. If you feel resistance then it's in gear and the problem is with your cable. If the prop spins freely then it didn't shift and the problem is in the unit. I don't know what kind of prop you have, but it's unlikely that you blew out the prop hub since you say you can shift into reverse and it runs ok like that.
Were there any grinding sounds coming from the lower unit while you were out on the water or when you were shifting it under power?? :head:
 
Yeah just went to look at the shifter and cant even figure out how to take it off. It looks like its supposed to have four screws in it, but alas they're not there. so how would i manually shift it into gear (im a noob). also there were no grinding sounds just the "clunk" when it dropped into gear.
 
go back to teh shift plate on the engien, you will have two shift cables coming together at teh shift plate, one cable is from the shifter at the helm, the otehr goes to the drive. Like DDE said, disconect the shift cable from the shifter at the shift plate(top cable), just need a 7/16 wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers. Have soemone spin the prop counetr clock wise and puch the sfhit cable(the drive one, not the shifter one) in till the prop locks up in gear, then spin the prop the otehr way and pull the cable out till it locks in reverse. If it will lock in both ways, teh shift cable to teh drive is probably OK. Check the cable to teh shifter, it probably has worn thur some where
 
did that goes into gear manually fine, cab;es are actually in good shape I think the problem is the control lever. Replacing tomorrow. will update.
 
OK I am really perplexed here after checking out the lever that was ok so once again we tried adjusting the shift cable and EUREKA! we found the sweet spot. Shifted into forward and revers normal. took it back to the house rant it a few times on Sunday to make sure it was still shifting correctly, no problems. SO now time for sea trials prior to hauling her to the ramp, checked on more time no problems engaging forward gear. put her in the water, back her out and guess what no forward. I'm lost. Any Ideas?
 
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