shifter problem...possibly

[bob johnson]

I have a 1999 Johnson 150 hp and I am using an OMC side console control. I have taken the boat out about 5 times and the shifting was fine forward and reverse...all of the sudden this past Saturday the motor would not shift into reverse...is would just grind gears.... it was like it wasn't shifting far enough...but it was all of the sudden... the adjustment rods on the side of the motor...were tight...I don't see how they can rotate while clamped!! so I unclamped that bracket and turned the adjustment to get more movement to reverse, and it was shifting good again into reverse as well as forward. then a few hours later it seemed like I was grinding a little goijng into forward!!!!...but the grinding goes away if I shift fast.....but it didn't do that before the adjustment and right after the adjustment...so my question is.....is it possible the culprit of my issue is really inside the control?... are there parts in there that wear and go bad that could give me the issue I am having? its more of a pain to remove the control and tear it apart and look inside....so ill ask here first.......

bob

 

[F_R]

I can't tell where the problem is, or if there even is a problem. But one thing stands out in your saga. You should always shift with a quick snappy movement. Trying to be gentle with it and shifting slowly is death to the parts in the lower unit.

 

[racerone]

There should be no ---" granny shifting " with an outboard motor !

 

[bob johnson]

no I fully agree...I was telling the girl I was seeing who was shifting slow that she was grinding gears...I told her , shift or don't shift..... don't dwell half way there...so I know how to shift and this problem manifested itself even though I was shifting,'what used to be normal"..... I used to be able to shift quickly to the "notched area"....which is the start of moving throttle!!!.....and now it seems I have shift all the way INTO some throttle quickly to keep from grinding....that's why I am suspecting maybe the shifter is getting worn , somehow!

 

[boobie]

You could have a worn shift cable.

 

[heypawpaw]

Same problem happened two years ago on my 1996 Evenrude 88 special. It started grinding and not fully going into reverse. Adjusting control cables helped for a while but got to where couldn't get to go in both forward and reverse. Ended up being salt (corrosion) buildup on shift rod not letting it slide up and down through rubber seal on lower unit. It was very difficult getting old rubber seal off the shift rod like it was glued on.

 

[bob johnson]

You could have a worn shift cable.

brand new cables this fall....

 

[bob johnson]

Same problem happened two years ago on my 1996 Evenrude 88 special. It started grinding and not fully going into reverse. Adjusting control cables helped for a while but got to where couldn't get to go in both forward and reverse. Ended up being salt (corrosion) buildup on shift rod not letting it slide up and down through rubber seal on lower unit. It was very difficult getting old rubber seal off the shift rod like it was glued on.

ill check that, this lower end and mid section came off a 1997 Michigan faststrike 175....it had zero corrosion anywhere on the motor...but the power head I have on it is from a all salt water used 1999 150 hp ocean runner.....so maybe the seal was left over from the 1999 150...but the shift rod came with the 1997 freshwater 175 fast strike.....

 

[Faztbullet]

The front motor mount bolts being loose will cause this as engine leans back bending shift rod changing length....

 

[Chris1956]

The last few years on my '98 Johnny 150HP OB I had been having trouble shifting into reverse. I greased the shifter, and it was a bit better. Last spring she would not shift at all. It turned out to be the shift rod cover had swollen from corrosion and grabbed the shift rod tightly. A new shift rod cover fixed it like new...

 

[bob johnson]

The front motor mount bolts being loose will cause this as engine leans back bending shift rod changing length....

she is tight...both the jack plate to the boat and the motor to the jack plate.( unless I am thinking of the wrong term for front motor mount bolts)........so we can rule out the inside of the shifter???????...since two guys had a shifter rod- seal issue..i am certainly going to look into that!

 

[Faztbullet]

No the 2 bolt thru steering bracket to lower powerhead mounts....