Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

[Momsboat]

Just bought a 88 Sea Ray Seville and took it out for the first time today. After cruising for about 1 1/2 hours, we were running close to full out across the bay, and the boat dropped a little power, then dropped out of gear - like the prop suddenly stopped turning - and the engine revved. We pulled it back into neutral, but couldn't get the boat back into gear - either forward or reverse. Ended up having to be towed back to the launch ramp. Not the best end to our maiden voyage. Is this a shift cable issue, or something else?

 

[thumpar]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

What drive/engine do you have?

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

I think (newbie) we have a 3.0l 140 hp 4 cylinder mercruiser with an alpha one sterndrive, but the sterndrive is not original to the boat and we're not sure how old it is.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Check to make sure the shaft going to the drive is spinning when the engine is running.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Hmmm - sounds like we better get a sterndrive manual because we're not sure how to do that?

 

[thumpar]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Open up the engine bay and look at the joint behind the engine that go straight back to the drive. That part should spin whenever the engine is spinning. My guess is it is not and you have a bad coupler.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Thanks for the help! We'll check it out with the ear muffs tomorrow as the sun is long gone now. We know the boat sat for some years in a field, but the guy we bought it from used it several times each this summer and last. We had planned to pull the sterndrive off at the end of the season to replace the bellows as they are cracked and leaking slightly, but thought we'd be able to use the boat a few times before the snow flies here in Minnesota.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Okay - so I started it up this morning, (I'm sure the cul-de-sac neighbors loved me) and the drive shaft IS spinning from the motor into the stern drive. So that means the issue is in the stern drive? We have also determined that the upper part of the stern drive is original to the boat, and just the lower unit was replaced.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

the drive shaft IS spinning from the motor into the stern drive.

Did you try and put it into gear while it was running in the driveway? If so, did the prop spin? It's possible you may have spun the prop hub. It could be an internal drive issue, but it could also be a simple prop hub. If you have a spare prop, that would be an easy thing to check. You can also make a line on the prop and hub and try the boat in the water again. See if the lines are still aligned when you take it back out of the water. If they are not, your prop is bad.

Okay - so I started it up this morning, (I'm sure the cul-de-sac neighbors loved me)

You mentioned you are a newbie - did you run it on muffs with water flowing? Or just start it up with no water?

 

[thumpar]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Yea could be a spun prop hub. Like fishermark says you will only really notice that in the water. I may look ok in the driveway. If that is not it check to make sure the drive is trying to shift. With the boat not running and the drive up. Look in the front side of the drive. There is a cavity just above the upper and lower drive mating spot. Have someone shift the drive while you watch to see if it is shifting there.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

I did have the muffs on and water running. I grew up with boats - just always had someone else taking care of them.

Is there a way to check for the spun prop without putting it in the water if we don't have a spare? Or should I just go pick up a spare since probably a good idea to have one around anyway?

To check if its shifting, are we just looking for a moving cable or something?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

ALWAYS a good idea to keep a spare prop. And that's probably going to be your easiest way to check it.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Yea could be a spun prop hub. Like fishermark says you will only really notice that in the water. I may look ok in the driveway. If that is not it check to make sure the drive is trying to shift. With the boat not running and the drive up. Look in the front side of the drive. There is a cavity just above the upper and lower drive mating spot. Have someone shift the drive while you watch to see if it is shifting there.

Here's what we know:
Engine off:
- With the engine off, we can see that it is shifting in the outdrive near where the upper and lower units come together. We can see a flat metal piece moving as we put the boat in gear, opposite directions for forward and reverse.
- if boat is in gear, it is possible to turn prop by hand, but prop seems to slip and we can hear a clunk, but we don't see drive shaft spin (didn't know if we should do this so we stopped).
Engine on:
- The drive shaft from the engine to the outdrive is spinning - both in neutral and with the boat engaged in gear.
- the prop and prop shaft do not turn in gear.
- Engine is overheating; we turned off when it got to 200 degrees.
- some smoke, mostly on right side of enginer, but can't tell exactly where its coming from.

 

[Don S]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

- The drive shaft from the engine to the outdrive is spinning - both in neutral and with the boat engaged in gear.- the prop and prop shaft do not turn in gear.
- Engine is overheating; we turned off when it got to 200 degrees.
- some smoke, mostly on right side of enginer, but can't tell exactly where its coming from.

Sounds a lot like you lost the upper gears in the outdrive, pull the cap off the outdrive and have a look. Not special bolts, they take a 12 point socket.

 

[alexr254]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Sounds a lot like you lost the upper gears in the outdrive, pull the cap off the outdrive and have a look. Not special bolts, they take a 12 point socket.

I agree exact same thing happened to me many years ago. Sorry

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Got the bolts off the cap to the sterndrive but can't remove can only turn 1/4 trun each way? seems like it's still connected to something. Since I couldn'rt get the cap off ia removed the lower unit exposing the knuckle and shaft.

 

[Don S]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

The cap sits inside the upper housing, if you bring it up at a little angle it will bind. Lift and twist, it will come off.

 

[Momsboat]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Thanks all - we took it to a mechanic and yup, you were right - we lost the upper gears in the outdrive...apparently there was no oil! Not something we checked (lesson learned) as the guy we bought from said he'd been using the boat. Hoping to get it fixed in time to get out on the lake yet this year.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Hoping to get it fixed in time to get out on the lake yet this year.

"Getting it fixed" can be another expensive lesson learned if you are not careful. I can almost guarantee it will be cheaper to buy another outdrive than having yours fixed. Look here on iboats - you can buy a brand new complete outdrive (not rebuilt) in the neighborhood of $1,300 or so.

 

[alexr254]

Re: Boat dropped out of gear and won't engage in forward or reverse

Fixing the upper gears can cost just about the same as buying a new outdrive, as Fishermark stated.