I looked for related posts on this subject and didn't find any, so if I'm
repeating something already said, just ignore it.

750 Rpm's is a typical idle speed. At the engine where the shift cable
connects is a mechanism that rocks as shifting is done. It trips a micro
switch and kills the engine for just an instant and thus takes the power off
of the gears and allows shifting to occur. The gear dogs are cut at a
slight angle so as to pull them into their mating slots and help hold into
forward or reverse when under way. With the slightest power, they are
holding tight. When the microswitch closes and kills the engine momentarily
this power is removed.

The most common cause of this difficulty is the shift cable that runs from
this mechanism down to the lower unit. This cable is about 18" long. It
becomes wet and sticky thus does not operate smoothly and hence the micro
switch arrangement does not do it's job.

Don Dando



wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks again....

I will try it this weekend at the dock, it may be the idle...

again, I do not have the manual so don't know the specs of what the
idle should be...so the help you guys provide (or agree upon) is my
manual. I will idle it down to 600rpm on land and then take it to the
water as my first step to a "cheaper" resolution.

thanks

Scott