Grinding sound while shifting

[bluedolphin]

Hi, folks. Since I bought this boat 2 weekends ago, all of you have contributed greatly to get a few things fixed or improved on. My new baby is a 1972 22-2 Aquasport center concole, with a 1992 200 hp Johnson V-6. Things that I've done with your help: hard starting, bilge pump stopped working, fuel tank gaude not connected. Next in line, grinding sound while shifting. The engine will go forward, back to neutral, and reverse, it's just that when going from neutral to reverse, and back to neutral, there's this grinding sound. Same with neutral to reverse, and then back to neutral. I still have not reveived the manual I ordered, but as soon as I get it, I will at least have some idea. In the meantime, HELP!!! And thanks for all suggestions and comments.

[John Jones]

Are you shifting quickly and firmly?  Even new ones will grind if one shifts too slowly.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, JohnJones. I do shift slowly. Maybe I will try to shift a little bit qiocker and firmer next time, and see if the grinding is minimized. Thanks. P.S. I think I said neutral to reverse twice, but for one of them, I meant neutral to forward, and then back to neutral. My apologies if I confused someone. Spelling error - "gaude" should be "gauge".

[JimCt]

An outboard has no clutch.  Each time you shift into gear a spinning gear (engine) meshes with a stationary gear (prop).  To minimize the time  the very tips of the two gears are trying to match speed with each other, shift into gear with a swift motion.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, JimCT. I will keep that in mind the next time I shift gears.

[bluedolphin]

Hi, JimCT. I took the boat out yesterday, and, as you suggested, changed gears in a swift motion. And the grinding noise is almost (not completely gone) non existent. Thanks. By the way, windy yesterday with a "Small Craft Advisory" here in Ft. Lauderdale. Something like 30 to 45 mph winds. I can only imagine what's like in the ocean - rip current warnings on the beach. My wife and I went boating on the river anyway, and the winds were not a problem. We went to Las Olas, stopped for a pizza, and went home. No rain, just cloudy, windy, and 80 degrees. Great stuff. Hope your weather is just as good.

[ddd222]

besides not shifting w/ hesitation or gingerly, here's a few more suggestions that will make a difference, but not realistic always. Try to look at tachometer when shifting and shift at lowest possible rpm, but not too gingerly. Also, and when realistic, and for example, when approaching a dock shift from forward, to neutral, wait a moment, THEN to reverse. Too many boaters dock so forcefully w/out need. Shifting from forward to reverse(or vice-versa) like neutral wasn't even there should be done as a last resort in my opinion, and practicing operation like this will give longer gear case life guaranteed. Now as i said before this isn't always realistic and is dependent on a well maintained outboard. My old looper evinrude almost always needed to be throttled up to start, dock, etc. Trying to dock ideally like i mentioned the boat would 90% of the time would stall on approach to a dock and i would scream at my girlfriend to sqeeze the fuel ball as i tried to restart before smashtime. Not an issue w/ new yamaha, try it see if it works, just be aware of turn radius of your boat w/ different levels of thrust. A couple young bucks in my marina like to come barreling in to show off their docking skills, once in a while they come out looking like "capt ron", racing the rpms, but throw a little wind, tide, or another boat, 9 times outta ten they look the rooks they are.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, ddd222! I'm used to twin 454's straight inboards, so I always go from forward to neutral first, before shifting again. See my pic's under the Photo Gallery (Aquasport under bluedolphin) and one of them shows my other boat that's for sale. She's a 1985 31' Formula PC, excellent running condition. Asking $18.5 - a steal at that price. The Aquasport's 200 hp Mercury has a new powerhead and fairly well maintained - so I have not had any stall conditions. I do warm her up for a good 20 to 25 minutes before I shove off. After that, she's good to go all day. By the way, I don't have a tach on this boat - is it fairly simple to instal? I also don't have a temp gauge, among other things. HELP!!!!

[John Jones]

Tachs and temp gauges are not that hard to install if one has a little mechanical/electrical talent.  Between the gauge instructions and a service manual it should go smoothly.  

Besides a power, ground, and light wire, tachs usually only require one wire to the engine harness and the wire should be already existing somewhere near the key switch in the bundle of wires that run from the engine.  

Temp gauges require the normal power, ground, and light wire plus one wire from a sensor screwed into the engine block or head.  The Teleflex gauge I added came with very good instructions as to where to mount the sensor.  If it has never had a temp gauge there will be a metal plug screwed into the engine.  One simply unscrews the plug and replaces it with the sensor.  The hardest part is fishing the wire from the engine to the dash.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, John Jones! I bought a manual for the engine, just did not get it yet. I should be able to find my way to do the tach and temp gauge, once i have the manual. Fishing a wire from the engine to the dash is easy - I did it already for the auto float switch (bilge pump). Finding where to connect the sensor or metal plug on the engine will be the challenge. Again, with the manual, I should be ok. Thanks again.

[John Jones]

My Teleflex gauge had diagrams for a bunch of different engine types.  Hopefully yours will also.  I'd be willing to bet your motor is more or less the same as my '93 225 V6.  I can send a pic of the location if you want.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, John Jones. Can you send me the pics to my e-mail?

[John Jones]

Okay.  I'll get one tomorrow.

[John Jones]

Here you go.  Near the top of the port side cylinder head.

[bluedolphin]

Got it, John Jones, and Thanks. I will look tonight and see if I can find that screw on my engine.