Drive seems to be in gear, clicks, but I can STILL spin by hand??

[Celebrity240]

I just picked up a 80's 24ft with Alpha 1, gen 1... He said it was running fine, he shut it off in the middle of the watter, started the boat and it wont go into gear...... SO i gave him a silly price since he didnt want to bother with it, I figured it was the shift cable. Now, out of the watter, i move the shift tab on the drive in gear (dont matter forward or reverse) and it seems like it clicks in gear, but i can still spin it by hand, it does not spin as freely as when in neutral, but i can still spin it. Clutch Dog? what else could it be???

I think i screwed myself...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Drive seems to be in gear, clicks, but I can STILL spin by hand??

I just picked up a 80's 24ft with Alpha 1, gen 1... He said it was running fine, he shut it off in the middle of the watter, started the boat and it wont go into gear...... SO i gave him a silly price since he didnt want to bother with it, I figured it was the shift cable. Now, out of the watter, i move the shift tab on the drive in gear (dont matter forward or reverse) and it seems like it clicks in gear, but i can still spin it by hand, it does not spin as freely as when in neutral, but i can still spin it. Clutch Dog? what else could it be???

I think i screwed myself...

Ayuh,.... Just add 'bout $1500. to yer silly price, 'n throw a brand new SEI on it...

Did ya check the drive oil,..??
Water,..?? Metal,..?? Full,..?? Empty,..??

 

[cr2k]

Re: Drive seems to be in gear, clicks, but I can STILL spin by hand??

When you out a drive in forward gear it will spin clockwise making a ratcheting sound but should not spin CCW. The opposite is true for Reverse.

If you just turn the shift foot without and tension on it (as there would be with the cable in gear it will ratchet out of gear).

Could be the shift shaft. But I had a little trouble decypering your post and exactly how you shifted it. Was the drive on the boat or off?