Kodiak won't shift out of reverse

[Guest]

In the middle of plowing snow last night my 2003 Yamaha Kodiak 450 would not shift out of reverse. I could physically move the stick into other gears but the machine would not move out of reverse. What happened? I suppose I'll have to take it in but I'm curious about what happened and why.

[Kodiak]

did you rock it back and forth after you put it back in H. sometimes they can get hung up?

[Guest]

Kodiak - Yeah, I tried that but it still stayed in reverse.

[Fisher Dave]

Sounds like linkage came disconnected or something broke somewhere .. possibly something iced up?

I have a 450 Kodiak and have never encountered anything like that.. so I havent had to look at the linkage.

It may be something you can look at and see an obvious problem (ice or a bolt fell out).. otherwise I hope your warranty hasnt expired if it requires *surgery*.

Please post what you find out... if you do have a bolt that fell out I would like to know where.. so I can be sure mine is tight.

[Guest]

Fisher Dave - I'm leaving on a business trip early tommorrow so I'll have to look at it this weekend. I'll post with what I find.

[sledhead]

sounds like either the shift rod bent or broke, or the end of the shift drum twisted of and that's a major repair.

[wall eyell be]

. . . or you could just become a walleye fisherman; they are always doing everything in reverse anyways !

W E B

[Guest]

Fisher Dave - I forgot to reply with what I found out about the problem with my Kodiak 450. I am not mechanically knowledgeable so forgive me if I don't know the names of the parts involved. The problem turned out to be a loose bolt at the end of the arm that goes from the shift control to the transmission box(?). The bolt hadn't fallen out completely but it had loosened enough that the arm was disconnected from the shaft it was supposed to be attached to. All I had to do was fit the hole in the end of the arm onto the rounded rectangular shaft and tighten the bolt and I was back in business.

[Fisher Dave]

Thanks for the reply .. I'll be sure to check mine one of these days when Jack Frost lets up a little... I dont want to be stuck someplace waist deep and not be able to shift because of a problem I could have prevented.

[MarkV]

That is exactly what happened with my Kodiak 450 last fall. Cost me 3 beers after my neighbor found the loose bolt for me.