Wont engage reverse

"Hi guys I,m a newbe to this s

"Hi guys I,m a newbe to this site,but it looks great.My 97 100hp mariner won,t engage reverse, checked cable adjustment and seams ok,will go into reverse on the earmuffs but when in the water with load on the prop willnot engage properly[jumps rapidly in and out on the linkage].Pulled the lower unit,thinking there may be some adjustment but found none.Seems like there is no detent for it to click into properly.Is the gearbox easy enough to pull to bits?Also gearbox oil stinks like rotten squid,is this bad?Thanks in advance Tony."

Sounds like the cable is not p

Sounds like the cable is not pushing the linkage far enough to engage reverse. The cam in the LU is simple and bulletproof--not the problem.

Jeff

"The slide thing on the side o

"The slide thing on the side of the engine can go back no futher,I actually over adjusted the cable so that it forced the linkage back hard.Thanks Tony."

"Do you run in salt water? - t

"Do you run in salt water? - that smell is indicative of salt water getting into the lower unit through a bad seal.

I would drain the lower unit (outside - the smell takes forever to get out of things), plug your nose, and inspect the gear oil for signs of metal. At the very least, have it pressure tested, but your lack of reverse could be a bad reverse gear or clutch..."

Thanks Graham I only run in sa

Thanks Graham I only run in salt water so I suspected that was the cause of the stink.Is the lower unit something that be dismantled at home or should I get an expert to loof at it?

"A "reseal" can be don

"A "reseal" can be done at home with a few basic tools (although tools meant for the job make it easier - but you can improvise) and a decent manual.

Salt run motors can sometimes be a royal pain trying to get the bearing carrier out (which has a big o-ring around it that could be the cause of the leak) because they have a habit of "welding" themself to the gearcase, but if you can get that to move, the rest is easy."