Re: 69 85 h.P. Evinrude stuck in Reverse ???

[frankr]

I got your PM, and I am going to attempt to answer it here for all to see. As I see it, your question is more or less what happens when you start the motor, since it is always in forward gear when stopped. OK, here goes:

When you start the motor, hopefully you have the control in neutral position. But the 1969 models could also be started with the control in gear, but at slow throttle settings, due to the safety switch on the motor. If you start it with the control in gear, yes the boat will move, just like any other motor. Starting with 1972 models, a start in neutral switch was in the control, forcing you to have it in neutral position before the starter would run.

Ok, the control is in neutral and you crank it up. The gearcase is in forward gear by default because there is no oil pressure. Does that mean it is going to take off? No. The oil pump is very efficient and will provide enough output to shift it to neutral within about one turn of the prop shaft at cranking speed. So what happens here is the control is in neutral, neutral solenoid has the neutral valve closed in the oil pump, and oil is directed to the clutch dog piston, moving it to neutral position on the prop shaft. All within one turn of the shaft.

Unintended boat movement is an unfortunate thing that can happen when you crank it up if the system has failed and it doesn’t do that shift to neutral within one turn of the shaft. I have never heard an official or unofficial comment from the factory on that. Personally, I think that was the reason they dropped the Hydro-Electric shift and went to power shift.

I hope this is written well enough to understand.

cannuck, check your PM box