Sterndrive stuck in reverse

Pendana

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20 Mar 2002
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After a 50 minute cruise to Runswick Bay dropped the hook and engaged reverse to set the anchor and then couldn't get the starboard control lever back into neutral. Couldn't see anything obvious at the control lever end so assume the problem lies at the sterndrive. Limped back on one engine and booked a lift out for Tuesday. Any sterndrive guru's able to offer advise on where to start looking?

Eddie
 
We had the same problem years ago on our old boat, single engine of course so had to reverse for about 3 miles down the loch /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

It turned out to be a simple, cheap fix so hopefully you have the same problem.

On the front of the outdrive there is a cover, clips in at the top and held in by a pozi screw at the bottom (hopefully yours is the same). Remove this cover and inside you should see two ends of the gear linkage held together with a pin held in by a split pin (or not anymore). -See badly drawn diagram- On our old boat the split pin wasn't stainless so had rusted away letting the main pin fall out, therefore getting it stuck in reverse. It turned out to be a simple job of replacing the split pin, didn't even need a lift out, just stand in shallow water or be careful in the dinghy.

gearlinkage.jpg
 
It could also be that the shift cones in the upper unit have jammed together, especially if when you changed into reverse, you still had some forward way on. It's simple enough to separate them, but needs a lift out if this is what has happened.

dv.
 
Same boat & engines with similar problem when we bought it. Turned out to be the cones - apparantly you can use metal shims to adjust and the previous (*!!?*) owner had used some plastic things from somewhere!!
 
Had a day in the boatyard and sure enough it wasn't going to be the simple option.

DSCN0695.jpg

Cone clutch stuck in the reverse gear receptor.
DSCN0699.jpg

components on the work bench
DSCN0700.jpg

and after a light tap with a hammer!

Anyone know why they should get stuck in the first place? Is it a sign of worn cone?
I'm reluctant to just re-assemble as it might just happen again, so for the sake of £300 I think I'll order a new cone & selector shoe or sliding sleeve and sliding shoe as volvo call them.

Just love being up to my armpits in oil /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Eddie
 
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