I am trying to hook up a used 1997 85hp Suzuki 2-stroke to my boat. I'm doing it myself and learning a lot as I go. So far so good, but now I can't seem to get the gearshift cable to hook up right.<br /><br />I put the motor in neutral and hooked up the cable to the shifter arm so that it stays in neutral. Naturally, there is some play in the cable. Whenever I go to start the motor it will turn over, but it keeps putting itself in forward! When it eventually stops turning over I find the prop spinning and usually I hear gears grinding. Ouch!<br /><br />I tried unhooking the shifter cable from the motor to make sure that the cable wasn't moving it. It still put itself in gear.<br /><br />I'm sure that I have the throttle and shifter cables hooked up to the right places on both ends, and the cables and control are all brand new.<br /><br />I'm hoping someone can tell me a trick for properly hooking up the shifter cable, or maybe has some experience with this. Could it be a lower unit problem (I hope not)? Clymer and the offical Suzuki manual say nothing about this and the only things under trouble-shooting I can find say to rebuild the lower unit.
