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Tohatsu 2003 40 hp not engaging gears

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Oldsalt&au

New member
Hi guy, (my first post) my fishing partners test run after a few months off went sour as he was just getting up on the plane. The tinny stopped tho not the motor & had to be towed to the ramp. I found that the gear selector is operating ok but not engaging the gears both forward & reverse. Can any of you good folk help with a diagnosis and repair. Much appreciated. Oldsalt
 
Have you checked to see if cables are moving on motor linkage,are cables moving at all? Is there a clicking sound in lower unit when moving gearshift? Possibly shift rod is out of adjustment, Consult shop manual for specs.
 
johnnygjr said:
Have you checked to see if cables are moving on motor linkage,are cables moving at all? Is there a clicking sound in lower unit when moving gearshift? Possibly shift rod is out of adjustment, Consult shop manual for specs.
Click to expand...

Good reply thanks. I've checked under the hood for correct linkage movement & have taken the selector rod off, then manually moved the rod arm up then down to the indents. The click is quite audible & they move all the way. You may be on the right track with the shift rod adjustment as when turning the prop I hear a click click click like the gear's aren't quite engaging. The noise seems to be coming close to half way up the leg.Can you direct me to the correct procedure for the rod adjustment. Sorry still learning to navigate the site. Cheers
 
Some shift rods can be adjusted by turning them clockwise&counter clockwise for precise measurement taken with tape measure usually within 1/32 of an inch your going to reference a shop manual for that specification ,someone with more resources than I or a dealer.
 
First, we need the actual model and serial numbers. Year is irrelevant. We need to know whether this is a tiller-operated or Remote motor. Tohatsu shift rods are NOT threaded, and are NOT adjusted by turning.

When if F, the prop WILL ratchet if turned forward. In R, it will not. And in N, it freewheels.
 
Sorry re delay, I've problems with posting from the cell ph. The model number is M40D2 3C8. serial number 52085. It is forward control/remote. The prop ratchets in forward & reverse. Kind regards & thanks. Oldsalt.

pvanv said:
First, we need the actual model and serial numbers. Year is irrelevant. We need to know whether this is a tiller-operated or Remote motor. Tohatsu shift rods are NOT threaded, and are NOT adjusted by turning.

When if F, the prop WILL ratchet if turned forward. In R, it will not. And in N, it freewheels.
Click to expand...
 
It should not ratchet in R. It's a possibility that you are not going into R at all, but staying in F, as could happen if a cable snapped. Does it freewheel in N?
 
Thank you all for your assistance, I have with help solved the mystery. A brief history. The outboard has recently had a service, a clue. We found that the "mechanic" drained the gearbox oil & forgot to refill it, hence the short running time before it failed. I installed another foot/gearbox & now it's running fine. I now remember advice from an old mechanic friend, If it's had work done then has a problem, go over what's been done. Cheers & safe boating Oldsalt.
 
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