2 new problems

"Took my 74 351W powered boat

"Took my 74 351W powered boat out today and have two new problems.
First, when going from forward to neutral, half the time the engine will die. When going from reverse to neutral it dies every time. The lock out switch that prevents you from starting in gear is working properly in that regard, but the switch appears to be a bit corroded and wondering if the problem is related to that in some way.
The other problem is when starting the boat it seems like the ignition is not functioning in the start position ,as quite often, you can crank it over several times without starting but as you release the key back to the run position, it will start. Does replacing the ignition switch seem like the fix or could it be some other problem."

"The first problem sounds like

"The first problem sounds like the shift cable. You can tell by watching the shift interupt lever on the shift plate while shifting the boat in the water. If it stays tripped and shuts off the engine, normally this indicates the shift cable needs replacement.

On those old systems there will be two small wires on the starter. The wire inside towards the engine will be the main start wire, the wire on the outside away from the block will be the start ignition bypass. This outside wire will either go to the + side of the coil or to the coil side of a balast resistor. Take a test lite and put on the + side of the coil and start the engine, there should be Batt + while the starter is engaged. If not, put test lite on the starter post for this wire and try again. There should be batt+ at this post, if not replace the starter solenoid. If Batt + is at this post, repair the wire from this post to the coil or resistor. The ignition switch with this problem is normally not the culprit."