Help with Dealer, or repair ideas.

[archery20]

I have not used my boat in some time due to the fact that I am having an issue with the shift linkage or something of that nature. I believe that something is wrong inside the motor or lower unit. Or maybe in the shift linkage on the motor. It is a console with remote shift. It shifts into forward with no issue, but you have to stand on the shifter to get it to throttle in reverse. I thought maybe it just needed adjusting, so I took everything on the outside that I could see apart and or tried to adjust. Nothing helped. It is lubed well, and when I disconnect all shift cables from motor everything works perfectly smooth. I left the cables in the cowling on the motor so that I could still get the same curves in the lines to check for binding. Nothing seems to bind. I wondered if maybe it will bind under tension which is a possibility? I tried to shift gears by hand on the motor linkage and with a pliers for leverage, and it is very hard to get into reverse. The last 2 times I used it when I initially start the motor is is hard to engage the fast idle using the center round button. It always wants to go into gear and take off instead of free reving to warm engine.

Also once I get going away from the dock I like to clear the dock for others then I shift to neutral to ready my gear. The boat gets stuck in forward gear. I cannot get it back into neutral. I tried to shift through neutral to reverse, and the boat still goes FORWARD while in REVERSE.!?!?!? The 2 times it happened I had to shut it down in gear and then with no tension on shifter it will go back into neutral. Then it worked fine for the rest of the day. I am at my wits end, and I am starting to get depressed that I cannot get out fishing. Any insight into what the problem sounds like? Could it just be corrosion inside the gearbox/lower unit? I have had the boat 1 season, and it has just gotten worse. It is a 2002 Lund with a 115 fourstroke Merc EFI. I am willing to take it to a dealer, but have never dealt with any around Southern WI, or Northern IL and money is an issue. I live in Woodstock IL and would like to find a reputable dealer within an hour. The boat was originally from MW Marine, but that is almost an hour and a 1/2 ride for me.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.
thanks, archery20

[Hot Runr Guy]

Are you sure you're adjusting & setting the cables correctly? I have parts of the Mercury Big Tiller installation guide, and while you have a remote, I'd suppose the procedure is the same, regarding the hook-up to your 115. If you want me to send you these pages, send a message to me thru the WC site with your email address, and I'll get it to you. Unless, of course, you already have the service manual for your motor.
HRG

[THROWINWOOD]

Was the lower unit removed for any reason recently ?(water pump) ect...

Some gearcases have a splined shift shaft. It is poss to not have the shaft dead center between fwd /rev when reinstalling the gearcase back on the motor. 1 or 2 teeth off on the shaft can cause such a problem

This would be an easy fix for most any marina.

Just a thought

good luck

Dave

[archery20]

I have done nothing with the motor, and or lower unit. I believe it has gotten significantly stiffer throughout the year I have owned it. I used the boat roughly 10-12 times since i have owned it and it has just the last 2 times I ran it stuck in forward gear.

Any recomendations for a dealer near Lake Geneva?
archery20

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by archery20

I have done nothing with the motor, and or lower unit. I believe it has gotten significantly stiffer throughout the year I have owned it. I used the boat roughly 10-12 times since i have owned it and it has just the last 2 times I ran it stuck in forward gear.

Any recomendations for a dealer near Lake Geneva?
archery20

How about our own WalleyeGuide, Frank G at Rock River Marine in Edgerton? Maybe a little more than an hour away, but right on the river, and you could try it out before you tow it home.
Rockriverfrank@aol.com

HRG

[REW]

Archery,
Try the following.
1. Take the boat out and put it in the driveway.
2. Put on a pair of muffs, hook up a hose and be ready to use the motor.
3. Remove the cowel.
4. Remove the cable from the shift linkage.
5. Attach a rod to the shift linkage on the motor.
If you don't have one in your junkbox, pick up a piece of rod from a hardware store, so that you can shift the linkage - from outside the motor.
6. Work the shifter back and forth, while manually rotating the prop and insure that the motor is in netural.
7. Turn on the water, get back in the boat and start the motor.
8. Now, get the engine warmed up.
9. After the engine is warmed up, make sure that you can use your fast idle to speed up and drop the idle speed back to normal.
10. After you have done this, use the rod to shift the motor into and out of reverse. See - how the shifting works with nothing as far as linkage is concerned; connected to the lower unit shift arm.

11. If you find that you are having difficulty shifting the lower unit, with the free rod, and the engine running; it is time to take the engine in for lower unit checkup by the dealer. It is possible that you are having issues with a locked up shift dogs in the lower unit.

12. However, if you find that you can shift the motor normally with the shift rod when the engine is running; then you need to look at your shift cable and control box.

13. Since your boat is not that old - if it is a 2001; my guess is that you have an issue with the control box. To fix this will require that the control box be taken apart, the defect found, and the control box reassembled.

--
Note: in the previous summary, I spoke of shifting with the engine running. This is important, since the drive shaft needs to be turning, so that sometimes during the motor rotation, it will align itself with the lower unit shaft and shift point. If you don't have the motor turning, and if you aren't turning the prop by hand, it is quite possible that you won't be able to get the motor in either forward or reverse. This is perfectly normal.

Post your results.

Take care
REW

[archery20]

Thank You REW for the idea. I did have it running in the driveway, but not in the way you described. So I will try your way. It sounds simple enough. Kind of funny that you say shift dogs, because my brother is a top notch auto mechanic, and that is one of the things he mentioned. To bad it is like pulling teeth to get him to actually lend me more than expert advise.

Thanks and I will check back with you guys once I figure something out!
archery20

There are a few things that will make a 4 stroke on not come out if gear. This was a problem on the motor vintage you are discribing. That is why Merc redesigned the gear case.
1st you may have a bad shift interupter switch. This make the motor studder so the clutch can release for the gear.
2nd Are you running a aluminum prop? Merc was recommomding SST to fix this problem
3rd you could have a bad control. Problem here is that you are not going to like the price. If you have a Gen 1 control you have to go to a Gen 2. That means Control/ Cables $500.00 plus labor

If if shift fine out if the water it's not the control. It's problaby the switch. There's no load on the hose like in the water.