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I hit a sandbar with my 2003 Yamaha F90 4-stroke outboard (thanks Sandy). I immediately shut down and backed off the speed control, but the linkage was jammed. I worked it back and forth as gently as possible and it finally freed up. I then raised the motor and saw light dings to the prop. Nothing terrible, but dings nevertheless. I then restarted the engine and put the control in forward, but the boat started moving in reverse. I had no forward drive whatsoever. I had to limp back to the dock in reverse gear. After getting the boat out of the water, I dropped the engine and engaged the drive control to see if the prop was in gear. It spun freely. I then raised the motor and then the prop went into gear. I then lowered it and the prop went back into neutral. Strange.
I checked the linkage and all seems fine. I then took the lower unit off and checked the shift shaft and selector spline, but those seemed fine too. When I start it now in neutral, the prop spins on its own and the lower unit is noisy. I also cannot get neutral or reverse. It really acts as if the linkage is out of whack, but I think I lower unit is finished. Before I go and spend a fortune on a new lower unit, does anyone have last-chance ideas?
I hit a sandbar with my 2003 Yamaha F90 4-stroke outboard (thanks Sandy). I immediately shut down and backed off the speed control, but the linkage was jammed. I worked it back and forth as gently as possible and it finally freed up. I then raised the motor and saw light dings to the prop. Nothing terrible, but dings nevertheless. I then restarted the engine and put the control in forward, but the boat started moving in reverse. I had no forward drive whatsoever. I had to limp back to the dock in reverse gear. After getting the boat out of the water, I dropped the engine and engaged the drive control to see if the prop was in gear. It spun freely. I then raised the motor and then the prop went into gear. I then lowered it and the prop went back into neutral. Strange.
I checked the linkage and all seems fine. I then took the lower unit off and checked the shift shaft and selector spline, but those seemed fine too. When I start it now in neutral, the prop spins on its own and the lower unit is noisy. I also cannot get neutral or reverse. It really acts as if the linkage is out of whack, but I think I lower unit is finished. Before I go and spend a fortune on a new lower unit, does anyone have last-chance ideas?