7.4 merc w/bravo 3 lost gear while cruising

[sptjet90Reflexx]

friends boat lost gear while at cruising speed down the lake. Like it shifted into neutral. Pushing the shift cable in off the shift plate on the motor is almost impossible but it pulls back out..

Any chance this is just a cable or are we possibly looking at a worst case scenario clutch issues?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Could be the motor coupler,..... or a Bad drive,....

B-IIIs are solid props, so it ain't a hub,....

 

[tpenfield]

I would get the shift cable back in operation. You may need the shift cable adjustment tool in order to do it. You may also want to remove the outdrive in order to get a good look at the cable end. With the outdrive off you can also see if it wants to shift 'manually'.

Lots of beef inside the Bravo drives, so more likely at this point that the cable came loose or something like that.

 

[sptjet90Reflexx]

Thanks for the replies!

Bondo I also had thought about the coupler I asked if he smelled any burning smells when it happened he said no.. Also I heard a ticking sound when the engine is running in neutral that didnt exist before.

 

[Mischief Managed]

That happened to my B3/7.4 combo about 5 years ago. The upper pinion gear shredded on mine. I found a rebuilt Bravo upper gear case on craigslist for 500 bucks and have been using it ever since.

You can pop the top cover off the drive to check it very easily with a 3/8" 12 point socket. I hope the problem is less severe for you, my gear literally turned into steel wool.

 

[sptjet90Reflexx]

I pulled the inspection cover and it was full of oil and everything seemed to be in working operation. However I did find that in F or R I found very little resistance when attempting to "spin" the motor via Prop. I had him turn the prop in gear for me while I felt the coupler and the drive shaft spins very easily..

Coupler failure?​