Yamaha F6C (Can't shift it into Reverse)

[steveej]

Morning all,

Took the outboard off the boat last weekend and brought it home for a service. It is used as the main engine and sits in a well on the back of the boat. I only bought the boat recently so this was the first time I have been able to take a proper look at it.

I did a quick look over, had a play about with the tilt function etc and have applied grease to the areas it says you should in the manual including some of the cabling under the cowel. I haven't changed any of the engine or gear oil yet.

However, I have noticed that the shift lever will now no longer go into reverse. It seems stiff and barely goes into a click sound.

It seems this is linked to the tilt function some how as it to be unhooking itself when the lever is moved between forward, neutral, reverse.

Any ideas?

The next step was to warm it up in a bucket of water before draining the oil but I'm worried I've done something wrong.

 

[RichardS]

Morning all,

Took the outboard off the boat last weekend and brought it home for a service. It is used as the main engine and sits in a well on the back of the boat. I only bought the boat recently so this was the first time I have been able to take a proper look at it.

I did a quick look over, had a play about with the tilt function etc and have applied grease to the areas it says you should in the manual including some of the cabling under the cowel. I haven't changed any of the engine or gear oil yet.

However, I have noticed that the shift lever will now no longer go into reverse. It seems stiff and barely goes into a click sound.

It seems this is linked to the tilt function some how as it to be unhooking itself when the lever is moved between forward, neutral, reverse.

Any ideas?

The next step was to warm it up in a bucket of water before draining the oil but I'm worried I've done something wrong.

On many gearboxes selecting a gear can be stiff if the gear teeth are not in the best orientation. Don't make any assumptions until you have tried selecting gears with the engine running. Sometimes spinning the prop by hand might re-align the gears* and make engagement easier but running is the best guide.

Richard

* - substitute dogs rather than gears for this particular engine but the difference is irrelevant and the solution in the same!

 

[billcole]

The gear selector mechanism is definitely linked to the tilt latch. It should work so that in Neutral or Forward the tilt latch is off, so that the engine can be raised, or tilts up on its own if you hit the bottom in shallow water, but in Reverse the engine is latched down so that the propellor thrust doesn't cause it to tilt up.
There may also be something there to hold the engine in the up position so that you can leave it with the leg out of the water when not in use.

I guess that these mechanisms have somehow become disturbed, maybe got into the wrong position relative to each other, when you played about and greased it, but as most of it is external and visible it should hopefully be possible to watch what happenses as you move the gear lever and work out what is obstructing the movement.

Morning all,

Took the outboard off the boat last weekend and brought it home for a service. It is used as the main engine and sits in a well on the back of the boat. I only bought the boat recently so this was the first time I have been able to take a proper look at it.

I did a quick look over, had a play about with the tilt function etc and have applied grease to the areas it says you should in the manual including some of the cabling under the cowel. I haven't changed any of the engine or gear oil yet.

However, I have noticed that the shift lever will now no longer go into reverse. It seems stiff and barely goes into a click sound.

It seems this is linked to the tilt function some how as it to be unhooking itself when the lever is moved between forward, neutral, reverse.

Any ideas?

The next step was to warm it up in a bucket of water before draining the oil but I'm worried I've done something wrong.

 

[VicS]

Morning all,

Took the outboard off the boat last weekend and brought it home for a service. It is used as the main engine and sits in a well on the back of the boat. I only bought the boat recently so this was the first time I have been able to take a proper look at it.

I did a quick look over, had a play about with the tilt function etc and have applied grease to the areas it says you should in the manual including some of the cabling under the cowel. I haven't changed any of the engine or gear oil yet.

However, I have noticed that the shift lever will now no longer go into reverse. It seems stiff and barely goes into a click sound.

It seems this is linked to the tilt function some how as it to be unhooking itself when the lever is moved between forward, neutral, reverse.

Any ideas?

The next step was to warm it up in a bucket of water before draining the oil but I'm worried I've done something wrong.

The levers themselves often become stiff due to lack of lubrication. ( lack of facility to lubricate? ) If this is the trouble free it off and lubricate it or eventually you will break it.

ITYWF there is a link to the throttle, presumably so that so that it won't engage gear if the throttle is open too far

The dog clutch may not engage if the engine is not running but turning the prop by hand usually allows it to. ( The gears themselves are permanently engaged!)

I guess the link to the tilt mechanism only engages the catch when putting it into reverse and releases it in forward so that it will kick up if you hit something but stays down in reverse.


I just looked at the parts diagram........... bl**dy complicated ain't it

 

[steveej]

Will try the propeller trick tonight. I'm a bit hesitant to stick it in reverse when it is running as its only in a bucket of water and I'm worried there will be water everywhere.

When I first noticed last night I flicked it back and forth between neutral and reverse and each time it went into reverse it seemed to get tighter. At first I was getting a 'click' sound but no longer. This led me to think that something was getting tightened up when going back and forth between neutral and reverse on the lever (maybe some sort of cable).

 

[VicS]

Will try the propeller trick tonight. I'm a bit hesitant to stick it in reverse when it is running as its only in a bucket of water and I'm worried there will be water everywhere.

When I first noticed last night I flicked it back and forth between neutral and reverse and each time it went into reverse it seemed to get tighter. At first I was getting a 'click' sound but no longer. This led me to think that something was getting tightened up when going back and forth between neutral and reverse on the lever (maybe some sort of cable).

You will need something deeper than a bucket to run it or you will starve it of cooling water. The water pump it on top of the gearcase and it would be good to ensure this is submerged.

You can stop it chucking water all over the shop though by taking the prop off........... got to take it off to grease the splines anyway!

 

[steveej]

Turns out it was nothing to do with the tile mechanism.

I took the prop off, fired it up and it now works fine.

Thanks all.