94/95 Force 120 - Engine stuck in "Forward"

[AdamLotz]

Ok guys, well, I never got to figureing out why I was limited to ~3800 rpm - this happened today.<br /><br />Was driving along, went to shift to [N]eutral, and nothing happened. Put it in [R]everse, engine revved up but continued to drive forward.<br /><br />Got to a point in the intracoastal where I could beach it and check it out - everything under the engine cover was operating properly. Shift cable was sliding back and forth, and the linkage was correct moving up and down inside.<br /><br />So. There appears to be a threaded rod or the like that disappears down into the engine. As I said, it is moving up and down correctly. So my question - what exactly does it connect to on the other end, and how screwed am I for repairing this?? I'm 95% confident that everything I could see just by removing the engine cover was working properly, the failure must be further down...

 

[DJ]

Re: 94/95 Force 120 - Engine stuck in "Forward"

Adam,<br /><br />I don't think that's your low rpm problem. There is no clutch to slip. The propeller hub, maybe, but that would cause a high rpm/no go issue.<br /><br />THe shift linkage is hooked to a shaft that goes down into the lower unit. It connects to a fork that slides a dog onto either the reverse or forward gear. It's a positive engagement.

 

[AdamLotz]

Re: 94/95 Force 120 - Engine stuck in "Forward"

Sorry DJ - I wasn't clear - the two issues are definitely unrelated - it's just that suddenly as I was going out, I found myself with no neutral or reverse, so I had bigger problems to tackle.<br /><br />I have done a little more reading about the issue and I have to assume the problem is in the lower unit, since I can't find anything wrong with the cables, linkage movement on top, etc. <br /><br />This is going to be a tough one without a trailer.

 

[roscoe]

Re: 94/95 Force 120 - Engine stuck in "Forward"

Adam, there is an adjustment to be made at the top of the motor. It might have worked itself loose. It should have two nuts on it to lock it in place.<br /><br />It is near the shift cable connection, the neutral interlock switch (if you have one), and the shift shaft. There is a nut on the shaft that adjusts the position of the shift shaft.<br /><br />You have to disconnect the cable, adjust the position of the shaft, reattach the cable. Procedure is outlined in the Clymers Force repair manual on pages 475 and 476.<br /><br />If this doesn't work, looks like you are going in the water to remove the lower unit.

 

[AdamLotz]

Re: 94/95 Force 120 - Engine stuck in "Forward"

Thanks guys, found the cause (or at least cause #1) of my problem - the *external* attachment of the lower shift linkage to the lower unit had worked its way loose.<br /><br />Amazingly enough, the metal coupling that holds the two together was still there - I pulled it off easily. Looks like a cotter pin may be all I need to get back in action.<br /><br />We had actually gotten this far last night with the service manual, but at dusk leaning over the back of the boat, we thought the manual was wrong and this model didn't have the external attachment point.. whew.. glad to have found it.