1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

[ehaataja]

I just replaced my lower unit on a '69 Johnson 55hp model number 55ESL69C.
It's stuck in drive. I've ruled out electrical problems. When I turn the key on and and shift, you can hear the solenoids moving around as I shift. I just replaced the gear lube as well (with a TYPE C lube). I have to admit I am having a hard time comprehending how exactly this electric shift works. Any suggestions as to where to troubleshoot next?

 

[mikep1220]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

im having the same problem. i cant get it to go into neutral at all. even if i give 12 volts to the correct wire it still dont go into neutral. if you figured this out can u steer me in the correct direction

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

Are you guys running the motor or just shifting at the control box? There is a pump in the lower unit for the shift. Try running the motor on muffs and see if you have all the gears. The lower unit defaults to forward gear with loss of pump pressure or electrical failure. You may have other problems but you did not say if you were running the engine.

EDIT: Make sure you have the proper oil in lower unit, Type "C" priemum oil.

 

[mikep1220]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

i have ran the motor on the muffs for about 5 min then tried to shift it into neutral. still nothing. i ran a jumper from the positive on the battery to the green wire and nothing.the prop spins sorf of fast so i think i mite have a idle problem as well. any idean how to turn down the idle speed? or is it possibly the throttle cable being out of adjustment

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

You didn't say if you have the proper oil in the lower unit. Take your jumper wire and feed voltage to both wires, green and blue, at the same and see if it goes into reverse. If not you probably have a pump problem or electrical problems in lower unit. Not a cheap fix. I beleave that engine should idle about 1000 RPM on the muffs, it will slow down when in the water because of back pressure.

EDIT: When you are using the jumper wire you are disconnecting the wires going down into the lower unit form the main harness arn't you.

 

[mikep1220]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

im not sure of what oil is in the lower unit because i bought the motor used. i put jumpers on both wires and still nothing. if the oil is not correct with this cause it not to shift into other gears?

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

Yes, if it has the wrong oil in it it will not shift. If the oil is not the correct type you need, flush as much of the old oil out as you can. If it is the wrong oil it is way to thick for the pump to pump properly. If there is any doubt, change it.

 

[Redknot]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

I am pretty sure you need both solenoids working to get neutral. I had a ?69 55hp Rude that gave me fits?I hope it is not the solenoids, as they are not cheap?..And yes, you need to run lower gear case oil meant for electric shift motors?

 

[F_R]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

I am pretty sure you need both solenoids working to get neutral. I had a ?69 55hp Rude that gave me fits?I hope it is not the solenoids, as they are not cheap?..And yes, you need to run lower gear case oil meant for electric shift motors?

The green-wire solenoid is for neutral. Both green and blue at the same time are reverse. If you are applying 12V to the wires while it is running and have the correct oil (and no water) in the lower, then you have trouble in the lower unit. Might be the solenoids, but might not be either. Do a resistance test on them.

Lower unit repairs are generally not for the novice. If nothing else, it requires special tools. Not the least of which is a honkin' big pair of snap ring pliers with special extensions.

 

[mikep1220]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

so i pullud my lower unit off yesterday becuase i couldnt get the drain screw off and did not want to strip it. it didnt suprise me not to see a stream of oil to come down with the unit the lower unit was almost bone dry. i guess the people i got it from didnt winterize it properly. im on my way to get some type c today flush the system and refill again. hopfully that was the problem and i can get the boat back together today and out in the water this weekend. any idea how to test the solinoid why the unit is dropped. i used a test light and im getting the right answer from that im guessin the next step is a ohm meeter? any ideas ??

thanks again

 

[witenite0560]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

If I recall correctly, the solenoid check for ohms is 5 - 8 ohms. They also should draw 1.5 - 2 amps for 10 minutes. I don't have my manual here with me, but I think those are pretty close. Sounds like your problem is probably lubricant related though. Hopefully your hydraulic pump hasn't been scored or cooked.

 

[ehaataja]

Re: 1969 Johnson 55 stuck in forward gear

Thank for all of your feedback guys. I fixed the it. It was a multi-faceted problem.

1. The vacuum diaphragm enabling current to the lower unit was cracked. I ordered a new one, in the meantime I have my old one covered with silicone which is working fine.

2. I had a few bad seals allowing water into the unit. Fixed.

3. There's a small metal plunger at the very bottum of the shift rod which was not in its hole. It was EXTREMELY difficult to get this plunger where it belonged. I found that with a shop light sitting directly on the space where the wires go, and looking in from the other side with one eye shut, I could actually see the plunger indexing the small hole going to the oil pump. What a nightmare.

Now, after much tuning and tweaking, it's running and shifting great, but there's still one issue left.

How the **** do I tell if the water pump is working? All the blades are there and they don't appear to be cracked. This water pump is a rather strange design in my opinion. Instead of a single water pipe, there is an intake and exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe discharges used cooling water into the space directly below the water pump (yes, the same cavity the water pump draws new water from).

There are two holes on the back of the motor. At first I thought the water was supposed to shoot out of those, but after reading the manual (which is very vague about this topic), I believe those holes are just for relieving crankcase pressure. Like I said, the manual is very vague and general, so I could be way off. I'm very new to outboards and 2-cycles in general.

EDIT: Oh, and I don't have guides on the water tubes. Is that bad? I was able to get the water tubes in their respective holes without the guides. Are the guides a neccessary part, or just make alignment easier?