Outboard motor keeps popping out of Neutral?

[campnfunstuff]

My Mercury outboard keeps popping out of neutral at start up. The engine is a
1991, but the boat is a 1964 with a very old remote control unit. What should
What would I look for in the control unit? The engine seems to run fine otherwise, but I would guess that the gear fluid has not been changed or checked in about 4 years. If the gear fluid is low, could this cause it to shift
out of neutral?

 

[hkeiner]

Re: Outboard motor keeps popping out of Neutral?

It could be due to excessive wear, but before concluding on that I suggest that you check all cable adjustments to be sure that things are set up correctly. A Mercury shop manual for your motor is the best source for information on how to do this.

 

[campnfunstuff]

Re: Outboard motor keeps popping out of Neutral?

Thank you so much for the info...I will check the cable in the control box and try to adjust it before messing with the gear stuff. As a Mom with not much
experience with engines, I really appreciate the advice and am grateful that
this forum is available. I will post the results of my investigation. :redface:

 

[hkeiner]

Re: Outboard motor keeps popping out of Neutral?

I think that the critical adjustment is at the motor under the cowel, where the cable ends are connected to the shift linkages. I do not think the adjustments would be made at the control box by the drivers seat. However, I do not know your particular motor and setup. A shop manual would be the best source for guidance or someone on this forum that has the same motor and controls. Sorry that I can not help more than this... Good luck.