Outboard Motor Issue

[makeithappen]

I was hoping to get the input of y'all as several of you have owned boats for much longer than I. Last duck season, I noticed my outboard starting to "slip" out of gear at full throttle only in forward gear. It would only happen every now and then, but it's gotten much more frequent since, to the point where I can't really push past 3/4 throttle without the "slip" happening every 10-15 seconds.

I pulled my lower unit off to investigate. The lower unit oil was fine and I inspected it quite well while cleaning it off my workbench and floor (managed to forget about the oil at just the wrong time and dumped it over).

The forward gear and drive gear seem fine, with no obvious rounding of the teeth, so, what should I be looking at for the issue? Attaching pics below.

 

[makeithappen]

Forward gear, drive gear, reverse gear and middle drive shaft.

 

[dan45]

Could just be the shift linkage needs adjusted.





I don't know how to do that, but Google and youtube are your friends.

 

[dennishoddy]

^^^ yes.
I'm assuming this shifts from a control handle mounted on the boat, and not a shifter mounted right on the motor?
My 10 Hp Johnson did the same thing, but it was a shifter mounted on the motor.
There was a rod inside that did the shifting. Rotated it 180 degrees, and the issue went away.

 

[doctorjj]

It doesn't take much adjustment. Barely move the lever forward, with the motor off, and then try to spin the prop. See if it's engaged. Can try both forward and backward. Forward usually gets loose because the cable stretches.

 

[makeithappen]

Wild. I hadn't even considered a stretched or improperly tightened shift cable.

Dennis, correct. This is a middle console throttle and steering assembly.

 

[D. Hargrove]

WOW!!! We are not only gun gurus, but political analysts and now boat mechanics....OSA ROCKS!!!!

 

[Shadowrider]

Those gears look perfectly normal. If they were "slipping" there would be damage. Definitely cable out of adjustment or something causing them to not engage. In your 2nd pic, is that a sort of clutch on that shaft?

 

[makeithappen]

Those gears look perfectly normal. If they were "slipping" there would be damage. Definitely cable out of adjustment or something causing them to not engage. In your 2nd pic, is that a sort of clutch on that shaft?

The second pic is the drive shaft gear. The third pic is the reverse gear and clutch dog. The clutch only has one tooth that has any wear visible, for the forward gear portion.

 

[dennishoddy]

Wild. I hadn't even considered a stretched or improperly tightened shift cable.

Dennis, correct. This is a middle console throttle and steering assembly.

I'm out.