no nuetral, no reverse

stic88

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 15, 2010
Messages
326
ok got the motor running (on muffs), the lower end does not engage in reverse at all and i can only get nuetral when the controller is in reverse. I have played with the adjustment on the cable and nothing changes. the manual does not have anything on the adjustments. Do not know what I can do. Help please...... I know someone on the site has had this problem before and I am probably overlooking something simple. The motor is a 1975 johnson 85. Is the lower end messed up, the controller messed up?
 

HybridMX6

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
676
Re: no nuetral, no reverse

When the control is in neutral is the motor in forward? I'd lean towards either a cable adjustment or the shift shaft is not adjusted correctly. What year and hp motor are we dealing with? And did you have any of the lower off recently doing work on it? Lots of questions for now. Did you just get this engine in this condition, or was it already yours and known to be working fine on a previous date?
 

stic88

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 15, 2010
Messages
326
Re: no nuetral, no reverse

hybrid= I am in the process of bringing the boat back to life. It is a 1975 johnson 85 hp, with the controller in the nuetral position it is in forward gear, with the controller in reverse it is in nuetral, no reverse at all. I am going to pull the lower unit and see if the shift shaft adjustment is correctly in place. I think it is all the way down and two full turns up, Correct?

Thanks for the replies

i bought this boat in this condition, i have had the lower unit off to replace the impeller. I dont think i moved any adjustments but who knows could have.
 
Last edited:

noelm

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
761
Re: no nuetral, no reverse

OK, A very simple test, remove the cable from the shifter lever at the motor end, slowly turn the prop by hand (or foot) and shift the lever manually, does reverse-neutral-forward all work? if so you have an adjustment problem, or a broken/damaged cable, put the gear lever in neutral position, then the control lever in the neutral position, now install the cable to the gear lever at the motor end, take note if the cable end lines up with the gear lever, do NOT move the lever to line it up, adjust the cable to line it up.
 
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