reverse issue

[henderson66]

i was on the lake when i ran my prop into some heavy mud causing my 1997 60 hp outboard to stall/stop. i polled to deeper water and shifted into neutral to restart engine with no issues. shifted to forward to trailer the boat and i can't remember if i used reverse after running it into the mud. The next weekend i went to take the boat off the trailer and i have no reverse. i then tried forward which works, it stays in forward when i shift to neutral or reverse. i removed the cowling and can see that the cable will not slide the lever to the rear/aft position for reverse or middle position for neutral. With the motor off and the shifter cables still connected, i moved the shift lever by hand to reverse and neutral, the prop engages in reverse and spins freely in neutral. It also engages in forward. My question- when i got the prop stuck in the mud while engaged in forward gear and then i moved to neutral to start could i have damaged the linkage or am i way off base. I am hoping someone might point me in the direction i need to go to fix this. Thank you

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Sounds like your shifter cable is jambed up / worn if you can shift the engine without incident (with NO remote at the engine alone).

With the shifter cable still off the engine, try shifting the remote control/cable and check for binding, lack of movement, etc. Most likely just frayed/ just worn out...

Just a coincidence timing wise.

[henderson66]

shifter cable and reverse

thanks, i did disconnect the shifter cable and it works smoothly when not hooked up to the shifter lever. if i apply a slight amount of pressure against the cable when putting it in neutral or reverse from forward it stops. i am wondering if my shift lever could be in a bind or something else. oh, it goes easily from reverse and neutral in the forward direction almost as if on a spring. should i be able to move the shifter lever easily like with the effort of one finger. it takes some real effort to move it on the aft direction.

[rodbolt17]

not knowing what "it" is, your describing a broken cable issue.
most likely coincidental.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

thanks, i did disconnect the shifter cable and it works smoothly when not hooked up to the shifter lever. if i apply a slight amount of pressure against the cable when putting it in neutral or reverse from forward it stops. i am wondering if my shift lever could be in a bind or something else. oh, it goes easily from reverse and neutral in the forward direction almost as if on a spring. should i be able to move the shifter lever easily like with the effort of one finger. it takes some real effort to move it on the aft direction.

As posted in post #2 the cable is likely bad/worn, frayed up inside. There's not much in the remote shifter box mechanism to go bad. While its apart, I would lubricate the moving parts with Yamaha waterproof grease. There is a friction adjustment that you DO NOT WANT GREASE ON and where it rubs. (or your throttle won't stay on while underway.

You can disconnect it at the control box and try moving the cable by itself (not hooked up to anything) to verify. It should move smoothly, no binding, etc. Yours, very likely won't.

I would check the throttle cable as well while your there. Its probably just as old and their cheap enough to replace. Keeps you from getting stranded too if your alone...

Please post what you find..

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Any updates?

[henderson66]

reverse

thanks for the information, i have not had a chance to try disconnecting the cable at the control box. hopefully this weekend and i will let you know. thanks again!

[henderson66]

"it" is i had my prop ground in mud stalling the motor, no damage to prop, trailered boat and left, next visit i could not get the motor in reverse, once in forward that is where it would stay. i wasn't sure if i damaged lower unit or possibly the cable. my thinking was maybe i shifted when the prop was stuck in the mud and i could have damaged the cable. were you saying all is a coincidence and you feel it is the cable that is the issue. thank you

[rodbolt17]

IT was referring to your jumping back and forth from the box lever to theshift SLIDE on the engine.
gets hard to tell on a monitor.
disconnect the shift SLIDE on the motor.
manually move the SLIDE while rotating the prop.
two fingers should be able to find F,N and R.

if it will then the gearcase is most likely ok.

then have someone move the shift LEVER while someone applies light opposing pressure on the shift cable end.
if light opposing pressure locks up the cable you most likely have a bad cable.
control box failure is incredibly rare.

[henderson66]

reverse, 60 hp yamaha, shifter cable

gentleman, thanks for your thoughts, after further tinkering i found out what was wrong. my cable had come loose at the shifter, where it slides up into the shifter housing. i noticed if i held firmly on the cable close to the housing i could get it to go into neutral thus causing me to look further and seeing where it had come loose. all good and back in the water. thanks again!

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Thanks for the update. Have fun!