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25hp 4 stroke bigfoot Mercury won't go into gear anymore

C

CapnAhab

Member
It was working OK but recently when I put it in neutral and turned the key off there was an extra sound like a metallic spinning for a few seconds. One day I tried putting it in reverse but it won't forward instead. Yesterday it wouldn't even go forward. I'm green on motor work but would like to try to do something on my own as it's a major hassle to get service around here. The boat normally stays in the dock. Thanks for any advice.shift.jpg
 

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Appreciate the reply. The boat always stays in the water at the dock unless it's being taken someplace for repair. Could you say how I might put gear oil in? Is there like a dipstick or something or does it have to be taken out of the water and apart to see this? I was looking for info on gearcase oil and came across this video. It's a different motor but 25hp, 4 stroke https://youtu.be/3unYup8lpf8 . I was looking at what he's doing at 6:00. Thanks
 
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Same process to follow on gear oil.-------Yes at 6:00 he is changing gear oil.------If you are confused by this than time to pay the shop.
 
I'm confused allright as I'm quite a beginner. The shop around here is a nightmare. They've got a monopoly on service and, in addition to being expensive, they make you leave your boat out in the open for several weeks and then fix it when they get around to it instead of giving you an appointment and leaving it for a day or two. Like I say, I am on the green level but I've been able to fix a number of things I didn't know anything about if I can see a video or real basic instructions. It's really rewarding if I do (aside from saving my limited $). This is the sound it made (back when I could get it in gear) when I put it in what should be neutral and turned the key off.
I saw I can buy the oil and pump gizmo for not too much. Would I be able to squirt some in at the top screw opening? Thanks
 
I had extreme luck as a relative of a neighbor, who knows a lot about various motors by being a farmer, was visiting him today. I can't describe it in the right technical terms but there was an arm that had come loose in the front of the motor around point A in the picture.
He pulled a pin around point B in the picture. It was real fiddley work trying to get it lined up and stuck back in. After that everything was fine. Maybe this will help someone else. I know so little but from searching, along with the suggestion of checking the gear oil, I thought it might be the cable to the gears. No idea why this arm thing worked loose. It was gradual. Thanks for the replies here.repair gear prob.jpg
 
I found this post and now it's doing the same thing again. I had been having trouble getting it started and had been pressing the middle button to get it out of gear so I could increase the gas. Got the starting problem fixed but shortly after that it started staying in forward gear. Like if I pressed the button to change gears and put it in reverse it would still be in forward. I ran it for a few short trips like that but today it was only in neutral and wouldn't go into forward or reverse. I looked where I remembered the now long gone visitor was working but didn't see anything loose. Any ideas as to what happened? Thanks.
 
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