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(lochawe) wrote in message . com...

Thanks everyone (especially mod), I will try all your suggestions at
the week-end.

You're welcome.

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'?,

The "dog" is the "clutch dog" which is a thingy that slides on the
propshaft and engages the forward or reverse driven gear to make the
propshaft spin in either the forward or reverse rotation. It is
actuated by a pin that goes from the dog to the shift cam, the pin
sliding fore and aft through a tunnel in the front part of the
propshaft in response to the shift cam that rotates on the shift
shaft. The spring pushes the dog away from the reverse gear towards
the the forward gear, passing through the neutral position, and the
pin pushes against the dog from the opposite direction. This
spring-loaded design makes it safe to shift from reverse or forward
into neutral or from neutral into forward with the engine not running,
but shifting from neutral into reverse requires that the engine be
running or the prop be spinning to allow the dog "ears" to slip into
the indentations in the face of the reverse gear.

To access any of these items you must remove the bearing carrier at
the rear of the gearcase, just in front of the prop. Follow the
procedure in the repair manual or pay somebody else who has the proper
manuals and tools, this is easy to screw up (I think some items are
reverse-threaded and special tools are required).

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?.

You didn't say the fresh oil went in immediately prior to storage last
year, so I'll assume otherwise to allow a teaching moment. Water in
the gearcase is Bad. You must religiously drain and refill with fresh
gear oil at the end of the boating season, because you don't want to
leave water in it over the winter. You can't be sure that there's no
water in the gears if you don't drain the oil, so just because the oil
was fresh a few days ago isn't good enough if the motor has been in
the water for any length of time since; a seal may have failed
meantime.

Before you put the motor in the water in the spring, you should check
the oil and add as necessary. This tells you if you have a slow leak
that you may have missed in the previous autumn in which case you
should track it down. It also idiotproofs in case whoever winterized
the motor forgot to refill the gearcase (it happens), or forgot to put
the gasket on one/both of the oil drain/vent screws (it also happens).

Follow the procedure for draining and filling described in the manual.
Overfilling can cause problems as well as underfilling.

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.

Here's a diagnostic/possible repair. First make sure there's adequate
fresh lube in the gearcase. Shift into forward and tilt the motor so
the propshaft is near vertical and the prop is facing up (ie. the
front or the gearcase is facing down). Pull up on the prop to take up
the shaft endplay and tap downward on the propshaft with a stick of
wood; this should be jarring the propshaft up and down... but don't
jar it too hard, you're just trying to shake the dog off its position
on the propshaft, not break bearings. Between bouts of tapping, rotate
the prop clockwise and listen for a ratcheting or clicking sound; if
you hear it you may be good to go. Try also rotating the prop
counterclockwise and you should feel it catch, but clockwise should be
easy rotation.

Now lower the motor to operating position in the water, turn the
throttle all the way to the slowest setting and leaving the gearshift
in forward slowly pull the starter cord*, watching the prop rotation.
The prop should be turning clockwise (as viewed from the rear). Shift
into neutral and repeat pulling. The prop should not be spinning, or
might turn slightly counterclockwise. Shift back into forward again
and repeat the cord pulling*... the prop should be turning clockwise
again. Now shift into neutral and start the motor. If you can reliably
shift from neutral to forward and back then your clutch dog spring is
perhaps OK. If it sticks in neutral then the spring is broken/stuck,
or the dog is sticking on the propshaft, or the cam follower pin is
sticking in the propshaft. Now try reverse and neutral. If it sticks
in reverse but didn't stick in neutral previously, then there's
probably just a sticky spot in the sliding components which may work
out over time if you avoid reverse for a day or two. Repeat the
unsticking procedure and verify that you have reliable forward and
neutral and go fishing.

(* Although I doubt it, your motor may have an interlock that prevents
pulling the starter rope if the gearshift is not in neutral; if so,
omit these particular steps.)

Please let us know the results.

%mod%