Hello all,<br />I just bought a used bass boat and it has a 1978 Evinrude motor on it. Of coarse the man I bought it from told me how great it ran and how it would pull a skier....(suspicions arose) The motor did start and since we had no water hooked up only ran it a few seconds. Took the boat home, and being a Jet engine mechanic,.... I tested the motor with muffs on it. Ran like crap. Pulled the cover, Intake cover and got down to the carbs. When I pulled the bowl drain plug, NOTHING CAME OUT!! Middle cylinder poured fine, Bottom Nothing again. I cleaned the carbs and put it all back together and it ran really good.<br />So the family and I decided to take a saturday morning fishing trip to a local pond and upon starting the motor she sounded good and I was proud I had done such a good job getting the ole gal to purr.....OK Let's Go......Let's go,.....<br />No forward. I tried reverse and it went in with a klunk. I removed the cowling and watched the linkage as I tried to put it in forward and it "bounces" as if gears are trying to mesh but just won't go in gear. Thank God for trolling motors. Short of rebuilding the whole lower unit. (wallet is flat enough) any other ideas?<br /><br />THanks.<br />Ron.<br />The Fishin Musician.