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(modervador) wrote in message . com...
You should be using oil meant for a water-cooled outboard motor, not
for an air-cooled chainsaw. There is a difference in the combustion
temperature. The proper mix is 50:1.

I'm assuming you have the Merc 200 (20 hp) with the separate gearshift
lever, not the one with the shift built into the tiller twist grip.
Even so, the gearshift is tied into both the tilt lock mechanism and
the throttle mechanism. You can't shift out of reverse if the throttle
is at too high a speed or the tilt lock is jammed. First I'm assuming
you're shift lever is jammed. Turn the throttle all the way down and
jiggle the motor up and down on the transom a bit as if you're trying
to tilt it and let it down, while trying to move the shift into
neutral. This may unstick the mechanisms. It is safe to shift into
neutral while the engine is not running.

Alternatively, if the shift lever is not stuck, then the shifter gears
in the lower engine cowl and/or the splines in shift shaft coupler
have stripped, or the F-N-R spring in the lower unit is busted or the
dog is stuck. If you can tilt the motor in forward but not neutral,
then it's the latter 2 possibilities. If you left water in it (in the
gearcase) over the winter the clutch dog may have rusted to the
propshaft. Make sure you have fresh lube in the lower unit and if that
doesn't free it up after a short while then you're looking at a
teardown of the lower unit to fix it.

%mod%

Thanks everyone (especially mod), I will try all your suggestions at
the week-end. 'mod'your assertion on the stihl saw air coooled mix
makes excellent sense, although we have used it before it was usually
mixed into our 5 gallon tank which also had some left-over castrol
mix, this time we mixed a gallon (stihl)mix straight into the empty 5
gallon tank (hope this is the problem). Will use virgin fuel next time
with the real mcoy, guess it is a BIG false econemy using anything
else. We also had obtained 2 litres of moped oil on the cheap we were
going to use(not now)unless it is an amphibious moped lol, thanks
again. Your assumptions about the gearshift lever are also highly
accurate (in the second of your paragraphs) the shift lever is not
stuck, how difficult is it to replace/locate/diagnose an f-n-r spring,
what is a 'dog'?, there was fresh gear oil put into it last year by my
friends dad, is that the same as "fresh lube in the lower unit" if so
should we do it again anyway?. I do remember when we finished our trip
that we had to tilt the motor in forward, but that was the same last
trip, not %100 sure if we tried it in neutral, it ran a full day this
year before problems so I dont think it is rusted solid, hope it is
just stuck. thanks again for your experience/insight and time....hope
these posts may help some other beginners too.

Regards

David