70 hp yamaha shift problem

[vr4rhoads]

Well, tried to take my boat out last week and heard a clunk and found i was stuck in forward gear.

Put the boat back on the trailer and took a look at the motor and found the shift rod was broken where it hooks up to the lower unit spline for the gears.

Ordered another from yamaha (this time steel) and pull off my powerhead today to replace it. I installed the rod and put everything back together and the motor turns on, however its still stuck in forward.

I disconnected the linkage and found that I can get it into neutral if I hold it all the way aft. Basically just wondering if maybe my lower unit gear spline is not at neutral or if i need to adjust it.

Im still new to boat motors.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Sounds like the lower unit may NOT have been fully in neutral when installed. (spline off a tooth)

IMO, pull the lower unit, make sure the unit is definitly in neutral, same with the shifter shaft and re-assemble.

BTW, while the unit is off you should be able to shift the LU forward, neutral, reverse just to ascertain the LU is correctly shifting/working.

[vr4rhoads]

Thanks Ill give it a try

[vr4rhoads]

Alright thanks for the help! removed my lower clocked my spline and bam! Works like a champ! Replaced that shift shaft by myself with basically zero boat/outboard experience in about 5 hours! Wasnt bad, course I am an aircraft mechanic so I guess I should be able to figure it out.

Thanks for the help!

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Excellent! Thanks for the update!

[99yam40]

Ordered another from yamaha (this time steel)

Good to hear you are back running again.

Question
what was the original made of if the new one is steel?
Hopefully it is Stainless steel if running in salt water

[vr4rhoads]

Good to hear you are back running again.

Question
what was the original made of if the new on is steel?
Hopefully it is Stainless steel if running in salt water

Good question, I am not 100 percent certain of the make up of the metals actually, read somewhere that newer rods where stainless? I could be completely wrong. I will say the old rod is not magnetic and the new one is magnetic, and its a dull gray, I am assuming its stainless without nickel which would mean it would be magnetic. but not an expert in anyway

[99yam40]

I am fairly sure the nickel is what makes them stainless

[vr4rhoads]

I was thinking the same thing so I looked it up and I guess they have stainless with and without nickel, and the nickel makes it non magnetic, so not sure at this point

[99yam40]

well I was wrong once more, it is chromium that makes it stainless

Info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel

stainless steel is a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5%[1] chromium content by mass.

"Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic.
Annealed Austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic.
Work hardening can make austenitic stainless steels slightly magnetic."

[vr4rhoads]

Yeah I'm still not sure if it is stainless. I hope it is haha

[ausnoelm]

Stainless is non magnetic (well very weak magnetic) mild steel is magnetic, if a magnet sticks to it, expect rust.

[99yam40]

there are different types of SS some are magnetic some are not.
read up on it

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Info from Stainless steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

stainless steel is a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5%[1] chromium content by mass.

"Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic.
Annealed Austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic.
Work hardening can make austenitic stainless steels slightly magnetic."

Interesting, tks for the info/research!

[vr4rhoads]

Yamaha Shift Rod Corrosion - Moderated Discussion Areas

think thats where I saw that they are being made stainless