problems with getting into reverse!!

[mustup]

i have a 2stoke 90 merc. prob is i recently turned around to fetch my buddies hat and as we pulled up to it, i "slammed" it into reverse. nothing "snapped", but made a loud clicking sound for a second before catching into reverse. reverse still worked several time after that incident. i didn't think anything was wrong until last time i went out. dropped the boat into the water, put it in reverse, and it made the same "clicking/clacking noise" for a period of time (5-10 seconds) until it finally "slipped" into reverse and acted normal. too add, just prior to that, it was very difficult to "pull" the throttle into reverse (as if it was stuck in neutral/forward). that resolved after a bit but for the rest of the day, i had great difficult getting into reverse. i could pull the throttle back, but sounded like a clicking/clacking in the motor. it would decrease in frequency and finally fall into gear. the last time i did ( at the landing) it started to slip (knock) like before, but never decreased in frequency enough to fall into gear.

anyone know for sure what the problem is and how to fix it?? any info appreciated.

mustup

[311Hemi]

Not sure if it could be the same thing I experienced....but I was in reverse and hit a rock....LONG STORY!!

anyways...everytime after that when I tried to go from forward to reverse it was hard to turn the handle(25 hp tiller merc) and when I finally got it to reverse it made a big clunking noises (coule see the engine kind of lift becaue the shallow drive was on) and then it would finally catch and go into reverse....although I could not get any throttle response. Then...when trying to go from reverse back to forward then engine would die.....

It ended up being the prop.....after hitting the rock it busted something loose on the inside of the prop (standard deal on props from what I hear in case this type of thing happens). Anyways....I could spin the prop and not see anything bent....but if you looked on the interior ring of the prop you could see that it was just a slight bit off around the inside ring (bad explanation...but I don't know the terms!!)......

put a new prop on and everything worked fine!

Not sure if that could be the issue here...but I thought I would mention it!

One other thing now that I think of it....Not sure if outboards have similar cabling to an I/O....but our I/O did this same thing where it would clunk into reverse....and evetually just would not go into reverse at all. It ended up being the cable from the top of the engine down to the lower unit had stretched/busted....we replaced it and it works great now... again...not sure if outboards have a similar setup...just some thoughts... could be one of the cables that the throttle/drive lever uses...

I don't know for sure...but good luck!!

[This message has been edited by 311Hemi (edited 08-17-2004).]

[Mueske]

While on the trailer put the shifter into reverse, or where reverse should be. Adjust one end of the shifter cable (I'd start at the motor end) until the prop no longer freewheels. Test by putting it back into neutral, noting freewheeling, and into forward, noting engagement. Test in your favorite lake. Worked for me when the lower unit was rebuilt and the shop adjusted the setup. After I took it home and bolted it back on I no longer had reverse, which sounds very similar to you. Good luck.

Kevin

[Surface Tension]

I would start with adjusting the shift cable as well.