2001 Honda 50HP 4 stroke trouble shifting

Bought a 2001 Sylvan pontoon w

Bought a 2001 Sylvan pontoon with a Honda 50 on it last year. Shifting in and out of neutral is very stiff and has started to crack the plastic of the helm where shifter is attached. How to I adjust the tension so that shifting is easier. I removed shifter cover and tried adjusting two screws with locking nuts on them to no avail. Is there an adjustment on the motor itself?

"If you have the premium top m

"If you have the premium top mount shifter, the tension adjustment is on the side toward the driver near the base. It is a 1/4" size shaft that sticks out a little with a standard screw slot. Righty tighty, Lefty Loosey.

I think the screws you adjusted are adjustments for the throttle stop.

I assume you are trying to shift with your engine running. If not, at least have someone turn the prop. You should not shift it if the motor is not running. You can break a plastic lever in the motor.

This is probably not your problem. You probably have kinked cables, cables that have too tight of a bend or just worn cables. Depending on how it was rigged, if the engine is tilted too high, the cables as they go into the engine can bind and cause a permanent kink.

If you disconnect the cables at the engine and shifting/throttling is still hard, it is probably the cables. If it suddenly gets easy, then the problem may be with the engine.

If it is pointing to the cables, the only way after this to know for sure is the pull the shifter and disconnect the cables at the shifter also. They should move easily (with your fingertips)

If not, replace the cables."