I recently bought a used boat. When I took it out on the lake, I had
trouble getting it to go into gear. I had to try numerous times. The
engine would rev up, but it would not go into forward or reverse. About
one out of every 30 tries of pushing the throttle all the way forward
would make it jerk into gear. Once I finally got into into gear, it
would go fast with no problem, but when I put it back into neutral, I
had the same problem again. What could the issue be and how expensive
is it to have fixed?

Forgot to mention it's a Johnson 115 HP outboard motor.

Inboard ? Outboard? I/O ? Each has a different solution.

Don Dando


"Travis" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently bought a used boat. When I took it out on the lake, I had
trouble getting it to go into gear. I had to try numerous times. The
engine would rev up, but it would not go into forward or reverse. About
one out of every 30 tries of pushing the throttle all the way forward
would make it jerk into gear. Once I finally got into into gear, it
would go fast with no problem, but when I put it back into neutral, I
had the same problem again. What could the issue be and how expensive
is it to have fixed?

Johnson Outboard Sea Horse 115 HP. What does i/o mean?

I would be looking at the control cable and the control box. Pull the
cowling off the engine and determine which cable is throttle and which is
the shift. The disconnect the shift cable at the engine. Try to shift it
manually at the engine with it running. Obviously you need to hook up water
to the engine or back it into the water. Also keep any body parts out of the
prop. Start it up and with the engine idling try to put it in either gear.
If that works then try the other direction. If that works then the problem
is the cable or the control box . With the cable still disconnected try to
pull on it. If it pulls out all the way then the cable is broken and you
need a new one. If it doesn't pull out then I would move the remote control
(lever by the helm) into forward and then reverse while watching the cable
end by the engine. The cable should only move as you move the control lever
into gear. If it doesn't move or moves after you are into the throttle area
of the control lever then I would suspect the control. Put a new control
and new cables and you should be set.

If shifting the engine manually does not work then the problem is in the
lower unit.

Good luck,

Justin
"Travis" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently bought a used boat. When I took it out on the lake, I had
trouble getting it to go into gear. I had to try numerous times. The
engine would rev up, but it would not go into forward or reverse. About
one out of every 30 tries of pushing the throttle all the way forward
would make it jerk into gear. Once I finally got into into gear, it
would go fast with no problem, but when I put it back into neutral, I
had the same problem again. What could the issue be and how expensive
is it to have fixed?

Thank you so much. That is great info. How do I shift the engine
manually?

Thanks for the great info. How do I shift then engine manually? Can I
do this with the hose hooked up to my boat or must I put it in the
water?

Travis writes:

What could the issue be and how expensive
is it to have fixed?

Get an aftermarket repair manual such as are sold at West Marine or Boaters
World for $30. Will help you diagnose this and other problems you have,
and make you either a knowledgeable do-it-yourselfer or shrewd service
customer.

The shift cable pushes and pulls a lever on the engine. When you take the
cable of the engine you can manually shift it by pushing or pulling that
lever.

You can check it with a hose hooked up to the engine.

Justin
"Travis" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks for the great info. How do I shift then engine manually? Can I
do this with the hose hooked up to my boat or must I put it in the
water?

Well we did some troubleshooting and when we shifted it manually it
still didn't go into gear. I can tell it is trying to, a spit of water
here and there and half a spin from the prop every so often. The gear
oil is creamy. Any ideas on what the cause is and how expensive it is
to fix?