Drive is 1972 Mercrusier 888
Last weekend we were idling along (forward) and I pulled the shift control to the neutral position. It felt normal. No binds. No difficulty moving shift selector. But the drive stayed in forward. I jerked the selector to drive and back to neutral. After I jerked it back & forth several times, the drive went to neutral. After some experimentation, I realized that it does the same thing returning from reverse or forward. I haven't had shifting problems in the past.
I had the drive serviced this spring - new impeller and gear lube replaced. But the shift has worked perfectly since then.
I noticed that the plastic plug covering the access hole to the drive trim tab bolt is missing. Could water in the area cause shifting problems? (fresh water)
This problem started after I had tightened the brass nut securing the steering cable to the steering mechanism. It had come loose that day. Would tightening that connector affect shifting?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Last weekend we were idling along (forward) and I pulled the shift control to the neutral position. It felt normal. No binds. No difficulty moving shift selector. But the drive stayed in forward. I jerked the selector to drive and back to neutral. After I jerked it back & forth several times, the drive went to neutral. After some experimentation, I realized that it does the same thing returning from reverse or forward. I haven't had shifting problems in the past.
I had the drive serviced this spring - new impeller and gear lube replaced. But the shift has worked perfectly since then.
I noticed that the plastic plug covering the access hole to the drive trim tab bolt is missing. Could water in the area cause shifting problems? (fresh water)
This problem started after I had tightened the brass nut securing the steering cable to the steering mechanism. It had come loose that day. Would tightening that connector affect shifting?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
