Having problems with my forward gear on full throttle.

[dmysko]

I have an old Johnson 1981 20hp great motor starts first pull every time, I’m starting to have issues at full throttle under load. It’s almost as if the gears are slipping. My shifter is sticky and I think it may be too tight causing the clutch dog and the forward gear to not engage properly. I don’t have any photos as of now but I will be taking the bottom end off to inspect it when I have the time off work. Any help for an easy not too expensive fix is greatly appreciated.

 

[racerone]

Try another prop ?

 

[dmysko]

Brand new props. I tried that.

 

[kevinj]

My experience has been if a clutch dog is not fully engaging it is a loud clunk when gears slip and re-engage.

Is this a tiller model or remote controls? On the engine side I would thoroughly clean and lubricate all shift linkage components. Next, try operating the shift rod by hand without the tiller or remote controls connected. If it's really hard to move the rod up and down you might have bad O-ring seals on the lower unit. If it operates smoothly then you need to check your tiller or remote controls and see if it is binding.

 

[racerone]

Very easy to check shift adjustment at the shift handle on the motor.-----Are notches lined up for bolts in shift connector ?----Very easy to take lower unit apart for inspection as well.----My opinion.----Your results may vary.