175 Ocean Runner Shift: Grind and Clunk

[flyarrow]

Hi,
My 175 OR has developed a shifting problem this year. The friction at the control lever is high, but more importantly, the throttle seems to be coming up before the gear is engaged. As you can imagine there is a rather ugly grind and clunk before engagement. It seems to be worst going into forward. I have not removed or adjusted the cables since last year. No question there is some lubrication to do, but I'm wondering If I should just repace the cables, or if there is something more serious going on. I don't know if I should be looking at the motor end or control lever or other adjustments as the source of the problem. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

 

[flyarrow]

Re: 175 Ocean Runner Shift: Grind and Clunk

I've disconnected the cables and found that the "friction" is spoke of is at the motor end of things. The effort required to shift is quite high (i.e. you'd want a screwdriver to get some leverage. I'm suspecting that the linkage in the engine may have gotten corroded and is close to being seized. Any chance of lubricating this? Do I need to pull the lower unit to get at the shift rod?

 

[flyarrow]

Re: 175 Ocean Runner Shift: Grind and Clunk

OK, I've gotten the lower unit off and can see the corrosion at the shifter cover is my problem. I'll clean that up and replace the water pump impeller while I'm here. One final question: Is there a cheaper way to measure shift rod height than to invest $200 in the long calipers (P/N 389997)?