Yamaha 4 stroke 150 hp. Shift linkage fix. DIY shifting rod fix.

The shift linkage was not working. The motor was running fine on the water...
On the return to dock, the motor would not disengage from forward when placed into neutral or reverse. It did slow down to idling speed. Yet the prop was still turning. Another reason to turn the engine off when people/pets are in the water and near the engine. Don’t rely on neutral, stay safe.

The Problem:
When the throttle was placed into neutral; the motor was idling and the boat was moving forward.
When the throttle was placed into reverse position; the motor was idling and the boat was moving forward. Also, when giving it gas while in reverse, or in neutral, the boat would go faster, yet it went faster forward.

Identification:
What occurred is that the c-clamp/plastic clip mount, which holds the shifting rod securely in place, on the starboard frontside of the outboard engine, popped open and allowed the gasket and proper seating crevice, on the shifting rod, to be stuck past its original spot. Therefore, the stuck position was located on the “forward” side of the c-clamp/plastic mount. As the gas/throttle was increased the engine would only allow a forward gear to be engaged, because the incorrect seated position was stuck in the forward area of the shifting linkage rod. The gas is control by the rod just above the gear shift linkage rod. The shift linkage hardware was actually stuck in the idle forward seating position. It was a Simple fix, take a look at the video, it paints the picture. less than ten minutes to fix, save $$.

Yamaha 4 stroke 150 hp shift linkage DIY and fix.

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Smooth sails and stay safe.