Reverse not working

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Is the actual shifter shaft long and extend up thru the mid section (just curious)? Any corrosion/ bending?


If you don't have it installed before you read this, try shifting it into forward and turning the driveshaft in the correct direction (do the same for reverse).

Just checking to make sure it is indeed shifting the lower unit and you don't have any damage to the lower unit.

[robert graham]

Hopefully after you get it together and make a few adjustments it'll be fine...just remember to have the lower unit in neutral and your control lever in the neutral position before you put the lower unit back on...good luck!

[gdhodges]

Well I thought I might have gotten lucky... Put it all back together this morning and fired it up. It was doing the same thing... barely turning the prop in reverse. So I let it sit till I got off work and fired it up again.. this time really giving it some gas while in reverse... the prop spun great! I hooked up to the truck and took it to the water, put her it and... nothing. Barely even made bubbles. Maybe the prop spins when out of the water, but when I have it submerged and pushing against water it just slips inside and doesn't actually grip the prop enough to turn it. Please let me know what you think it could be. I'd really like to fix it myself. FYI... Last night when I was manually switching between the gears, although I got it to go in reverse a couple of times, I was able to continue turning the shaft in the same direction (both ways) and it would pop out of gear. Thank you for all your help so far. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

[gdhodges]

Tried something to see what happens... Got someone to throw it into reverse while I'm spinning the prop (engine off of course)... nothing. Doesn't set into gear at all... Just spins freely like it's still in neutral.

[99yam40]

have you thought about watching the shaft at the connection to lower unit while someone shifts to see if it is moving like it should

[gdhodges]

I have not done that, but I've felt the shaft before and after moving it into gear and there was a shift, but honestly... I wouldn't even know if it was moving correctly or not. I have nothing but what I see now to compare it to. This is my first boat and I'm just now getting familiar with the mechanics of it.

[99yam40]

Does this motor shift by twisting or by moving shaft up and down?
Might do some searching for Yamaha rusted shift shaft and read to see what kind of problems some early models had so you know what to look for if yours happens to be like that

[robert graham]

Have you checked for a spun prop hub?....if that rubber section between the inner and outer prop pieces fails, it would cause you to lose drive....

[gdhodges]

I have not checked for a spun hub. Forward still works. If the hub is spun.. would it go in forward and not reverse? I'll check the hub today.

[gdhodges]

I've got the prop off and looking at the parts and do not see anything broken or extremely worn. Not really sure if I'm looking at everything I need to.. Or looking for the wrong issue.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I've got the prop off and looking at the parts and do not see anything broken or extremely worn. Not really sure if I'm looking at everything I need to.. Or looking for the wrong issue.

If the hub is worn out, with the prop on the splinned lower unit shaft, you should NOT BE ABLE TO ROTATE (engine in gear) the propellor.

Wobbling of the prop would also point towards the innerds being worn and needing re-hubbing.

[99yam40]

If the hub is worn out, with the prop on the splinned lower unit shaft, you should NOT BE ABLE TO ROTATE (engine in gear) the propellor.

Wobbling of the prop would also point towards the innerds being worn and needing re-hubbing.

this is a false statement, I have had hubs that had no visible indication, but would not hold up under power only idle would produce forward movement, but could not move prop by hand. There is a rubber pressed in unit that slips

[gdhodges]

When it is in gear (forward gear) I am unable to turn the prop counter clockwise, but I am able to turn it clockwise.. but when I do it clicks as I turn it. There is not much wobble at all... some slight give of less than 1/8th of an inch. I wouldn't call this a wobble though. What else could I look for in a spun hub? What other parts would cause these symtoms?

[gdhodges]

I might add that although forward works fine and I'm able to go pretty fast in forward... when I took it out on the water to test it out it wouldn't plane very well and when trying to steer the boat at a fast speed it wouldn't react normally and would seem to be trying to skip across the water (which it does if I actually try to turn the boat at high speed since it is a flatbottom). Also... I noticed that the prop spitting water in an unusual pattern and not as "pretty" when I should be trimmed right and planed out. Even when turning around at normal slow speeds I noticed a distinct difference in the "feel" of it.

[robert graham]

To check for spun prop, put a mark on the inside section and the outside section, side by side...run the motor shifting the gears, turn of motor and check marks to see if they are still side by side....if not, then it's spun...