Dies when put in reverse

[cronus]

I have a 1973 caravelle trhull with a merc 165.When the engine is cold it dies when put into reverse.After warm up its better but still dies some when put in reverse.At first i thought it was just cold blooded but it almost seems as if too much drag is on the engine when put into reverse gear. Once in reverse it works fine.It does not do this at all when put in to forward gear. thanks

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Dies when put in reverse

What is your idle set at? Do you have a tach? Propellers do not work nearly as efficiently in reverse at they do in forward. I like to crisply put it in reverse and quickly give it a bit a throttle to get things moving. Not so much to be dangerous, just a few hundred rpms. Once in a blue moon my Merc will die in reverse, but only if I didn't give it a bit of throttle. Also, it doesn't hurt to let the motor run at around 1200 rpms for a few minutes before taking off. It is hard on any motor to go from being cold to doing work without a bit of run time to get everything lubricated and expanded. 2 strokes warm up pretty quick.