Outdrive locks in forward, not in reverse?

[SimpleM]

Ok, took my Alpha 1 prop off tonight, put the outdrive in reverse to help put some pressure on my wood block so I could keep both hands free. Just to make sure it had caught in gear, I turned the prop. The prop caught slightly but with pressure it turned, freewheeled one way, but moderate intermittent resistance the other. Shifted it to forward and it locked in to where you could feel the motor being turned by prop. I think I remember this as normal from my last boat (1994). Am I right, wrong, stupid, nuts, all of the above?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Outdrive locks in forward, not in reverse?

Not normal, with the helm in reverse the prop should lock all the way when turned clockwise.......
Possibly the shift cable is getting old.....
Pay attention to what it does in the water under load......​

 

[ziggy]

Re: Outdrive locks in forward, not in reverse?

agree with hm, not normal. the the fwd, rev. gears are undercut. meaning, if they engage, the harder ya try to slip them, the harder they lock into ea. other. for it to do what yer saying would seem to me that in rev. they are just barely engageing for it to slip out of gear. shift cable seems like a likely place to start. might try removeing the cable from the shift plate end inside the engine compartment and try operating the cable by hand. it should move very freely. also, when in gear. the prop locks one way or the other, depending on fwd or rev. it don't freewheel the other way, it ratchets. thats the gears sliping over ea. other going up the ramp in the gear. if it freewheels, it's not going all the way into gear, the gears are not in mesh proper....... in neutral is the only time the prop freewheels. as the gears are truly not in mesh, not connected even........
heres some reading for ya......

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf

 

[SimpleM]

Re: Outdrive locks in forward, not in reverse?

Ok, problem must be cables. I tried it again today, locks in both forward and reverse, ratchets both ways also. I misspoke when I said "freewheels". Freewheels in neutral only. Definitely takes more control throw than I think it should to engage both forward and reverse. I guess I will invest in a set of cables first, then a control later this summer.

M...