Help - Outboard shifing problem.

[still floats guy]

I have a 1989 Evinrude 70 hp outboard. I had the boat on the water three weeks ago. I started the outboard at the throttle box and was immediately in reverse even though the throttle/shifter was in neutral. I could not get out of reverse. I figured it was the cables needing adjustment. I have since ruled out cable issues at this point. I diconnected all cables. I tried manually shifting at the motor with cables diconnected. The prop was stuck in gear stilland the shift arm at the motor would not moved either. With the motor not running I finally got it to shift into neutral. Basically I just moved the prop by hand and wiggled the shifter arm where the cables are normally hooked up until it shifted. However, when I cycle through forward/neutral reverse, it sometimes shifts through this sequence easily. Other times it will catch in one gear or the other and will not shift into the next gear. LAst night I had the motor running. It was in neutral. I tried to shift into reverse. I could feel that the resistance through the shifting level I was moving. As I tried to push the shifter into reverse it felt like a knocking like gears were not lining up correctly.

What is my problem?

Lower unit looks fine. Lube is fine.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Any recommendations for a small engine repairman would be outstanding as well. I think I might need one. Thanks.

[BoxMN]

It could be the linkage in the lower unit just came out of adjustment. It is usually right behind the water intake mesh (on my 25hp rude) or on my merc it is in the front, if you look up the little hole from the bottom. I am not sure about your motor.

Are you 100% sure it isn't the cabels though? That sounds like what would happen if the shifter cable broke. Others are more mechanically inclined than me though so listen to them.

[still floats guy]

Thanks. I spoke with one mechanic who thought I might have to rotate the shift rod. We'll see if that does the trick.

[marine_man]

However, when I cycle through forward/neutral reverse, it sometimes shifts through this sequence easily. Other times it will catch in one gear or the other and will not shift into the next gear.

When you tried to cycle through the gears and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't was that with the control box or without the control box?

What I'm trying to isolate is if it is a lower unit / shift linkage problem or if it's a control box / shift cable problem.

marine_man

[still floats guy]

I cycled the gears without the control box or cables hooked up. I guess the electrical from the box was hooked up but I did not have the key on. In some cases, when manually shifting in to forward it feels like there is something stopping the lever from moving into full forward. Almost like a halfway point between neitral and forward. Nothing like this between neutral and reverse however.

[marine_man]

Ok... sounds like you isolated the control box. I would try rotating the shift rod as explained in a previous post to see if that helps things out.

Good Luck!

marine_man