Boat › Outboard › Lower unit › Trouble selecting a gear

There are plenty of reasons that a gearbox won't go into the selected gear from a broken selector cable or disconnected linkage to a problem with the gearbox itself. The video below talks about this situation with instructions for various repairs below that.

When the problem is inside the gearbox, the dog clutch and its selectors may be worn. Here I replace the dog clutch on a Tohatsu 40C, taking out the propeller shaft and replacing the springs and selectors as well as the clutch itself.

The Evinrude 150 wouldn't go into reverse, so I start by measuring and adjusting the length of its shift rod.

How to replace a control cable with a new one.

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Stiff, split or corroded gear and throttle cables are best replaced. I show how to remove the old cable, move the end fitting across and adjust the new one so neutral, forward and reverse line up.

Try to repair your steering cable

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It is sometimes possible to free up a seized steering cable by using compressed air to force oil down inside the casing. To do this you will require the use of an air compressor, although it can be quite small such as one for inflating car tyres.