Reverse issues

[RoughFishAssassins]

I am hoping that someone can help out with this. I have a 1977 Johnson/Evinrude 115 hp motor. We have been having issues with the motor going into reverse, when we try to shift it into reverse you can hear it "grind". It used to slip into gear but now it does not, it just grinds. So I thought that the linkage was messed up so with the motor running on the trailer(with muffs on) I adjusted the cable linkage till i got it to work. Problem is the next time we took it to the lake, it wouldnt shift into any direction, so I would readjust the cable till the forward was working atleast. Well this problem is long enough, what is wrong with this thing, reverse would be nice especially when launching. Please help me out. Thanks in advance!

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Reverse issues

Does it shift fine manually, not using the cable?

 

[B-Dozer]

Re: Reverse issues

I have a 1979 35 hp johnson had a similar problem ended up being the reverse gear and clutch dawg. About 400 bucks worth of parts and labor. If you used it at all when it was grinding,you will most likely need same parts.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Reverse issues

Well Doc, sounds like you have to "scrub up and go in". Not a lot you can do from outside of the gearcase.
One thing from your post...

It used to slip into gear but now it does not,

If you mean that you normally just slowly and gently edge it into reverse, that is incorrect technique.
Though it is almost counter-intuitive you want to quickly and firmly shift into and out of gear with those O/Bs....at the correct RPMs of course.

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: Reverse issues

Manually it does shift into forward good, but reverse it does not!
So I am suspecting that it will need to be rebuilt from what I am reading!
And as far as just jamming it into gear, as wrong as that feels and sounds it is what I try to do, just gotta watch it cuz it is a single stick setup and jam it to far and the rpms go through the roof. Kinda wish it was still the twin stick design.

 

[boobie]

Re: Reverse issues

Sounds like some g/c probs. Slop in linkage, dog or gear ??