TOPIC: Gremlins in my control box?

So here's the deal. I'm cruising along like usual, (boat starts right up and runs great after it's long winter rest), I slow down to say hello to some friends on the dock, try to put the boat in reverse to hold position, and all I get is a rev up with out going into gear. No reverse. Cant get throttle to go into forward.

So I try reverse again.

Here is the strange part: throttle only goes into reverse, but motor goes forward.

That's right, I make it back to the dock, getting pretty much full speed, by pushing the throttle backward.

Yep, it was a little weird pushing it forward to slow down, but seemed to work fine.

So here's the question: anyone have any idea what's happening?

Anyone ever have this happen to them?

Theres a cam inside the control box that could be worn past the point of being functional...i bought a control box off ebay last year that was doing nearly the same thing you described and the cam(dont know the technical term but its a big aluminum wheel that connects to the shift handle inside the box) was pretty much toast.

Id start there first...then move on to the lower unit if everything in the box seems up to snuff.

Sounds like a similar problem to mine Dave, namely that the male shift shaft in the LU has somehow slipped out of the mid-section female shift shaft and has moved into reverse, then reconnected while your shift handle is in forward. I screwed around with all this and more most the weekend.

Frank

Quick check for this without pulling anything apart is to have someone put pressure on the shift linkage at the motor and see if it pops back into normal function when you manipulate the shift handle. Mine did that a couple of times. would pop out of slot in controller but could be manipulated back.

check the lower unit for cracks my 650 acted like that over the winter water froze and pushed the shaft carrier out of the back of the housing costing me a new lower unit
Charles

JerrfyLube wrote:

Theres a cam inside the control box that could be worn past the point of being functional...i bought a control box off ebay last year that was doing nearly the same thing you described and the cam(dont know the technical term but its a big aluminum wheel that connects to the shift handle inside the box) was pretty much toast.

Id start there first...then move on to the lower unit if everything in the box seems up to snuff.

Ding ding...we have a winner...

Seems it was a combo problem.

First the cable was frozen, (possibly broken), which caused it to only go so far forward.

Second the cam was also worn to the point that it could have also caused problems.

So with a little help from the Silver Lake Merc Guru, we got it going.

The Silver Lake meet was a true working meet this year, with Ron, Frank and I all getting the bugs worked out.

All the boats got on the water though, and all had a great time.