Prop spins in neutral

[SDSailor50]

I purchased a 1977 Catalina 30 a few months ago that had a busted Atomic 4 engine along with setting neglected for about 3 or 4 years. I was told that the engine might have a cracked block so I purchased another atomic 4 engine that supposedly only had a blown head gasket. I removed the original engine and put in the better one. After some carburetor and fitting problems I got the engine running great. Now I seem to have a reversing gear problem. I think.

I am having what could be two problems, I am not sure I have only taken my boat out 3 times since I got the engine running and I am still struggling some with controlling the boat because I am not sure when I am in forward reverse and neutral.

While tied to the dock It feels like I am in neutral but the prop continues to spin and will push the boat slightly forward. I can hold it with my hand and it will easily stop, but as soon as I let go of the prop shaft it will start spinning again and pushing the boat forward. Shouldn’t the shaft stop completely or is this normal?

The other thing that might or might not be related is that it shifts kind of hard going in to reverse.

Anny suggestions or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[dthibaul]

My 1975 era A4 in forward is very similar to yours. When I believe it is in neutral, the prop shaft slowly rotates. but can be stoppen by hand. If I bring the shift lever back a bit, it will stop. As far as reverse, unlike forward (where there is a definite detent when it goes in gear) there is no detent- it is not stiff, just has a different feel to it- almost as if you need to keep pressure on the gear shift in reverse.

[Dave Neptune]

Neutral

You need to find the sweet spot for your shifter. Move the lever back and fourth a bit and you should find it. If you can't stop the spinning you could back the band off a tick but be careful. This is very common in this type of transmission.

Dave Neptune

[lat 64]

Welcome,

Since you have a spare engine to experiment with you can pop off the transmission cover and, along with lessons learned here and the Moyer manual, practice adjusting the shifter on the bench with the broken motor. It's not that complicated, but it really helps to read up on it or even get Don's video.

Russ

P.S. Get a magnetic tool retriever to find tools that you might drop in the transmission. As we like to say here: "Don't ask me how I know this"

[Laker]

SD -

Same here , I had Turning Shaft Syndrome for years , even when my forward gear clutches were slipping. I feared that after adjusting (tightening) the forward gear clutch that the shaft turn in neutral problem might worsen , but careful placement of the shift lever has relieved it. Try this : when coming out of forward , rather than just popping the lever out of the detent , bring the lever back to where you are just barely tickling reverse , then slightly forward to avoid any reverse whine.. That is where my transmission will sit clearly in neutral.

[dvd]

SD
Mine is also similar. There is no real solid nuetral on an A-4, but it is there. You need to play wth the shifter a little to find the perfect nuetral. Sometimes after you have been motoring awhile it seems to change position slightly but you can always find it or it is turning the shaft so slowly it just as good as nuetral..

[Mo]

Once you find the spot where the shaft stops turning I mark mine Neutral with a piece of yellow tape as wide as the shifter handle. It doesn't take much off the exact spot to have some rotation on the shaft. I know I am exactly where neutral is when the handle is adjacent to the tape... easy to see and know it is there.

[ILikeRust]

P.S. Get a magnetic tool retriever to find tools that you might drop in the transmission. As we like to say here: "Don't ask me how I know this"

Heed these wise words.

When I was re-reassembling my engine, I had laid the rear cover down on a nearby horizontal surface. Being a horizontal surface in my workshop, it of course already was occupied by many various and sundry items.

I picked up the rear cover, and as I was laying it onto the rear housing to line up the bolt holes, I heard something go "clatter, clatter, plink!" - it sounded to me like some small metal object had just dropped into the oil pan.

Fortunately, the oil pan was still dry, as I had not yet re-filled it with oil.

I looked with my little flashlight, but didn't see anything. But I was pretty darn sure something had just dropped in there.

I fished around in there with my magnet-on-a-bendy-stick tool, and on the second pass, pulled out a washer.

What had happened was that when I laid the rear cover down on the horizontal surface, it laid down on top of the washer. Because there was a little excess Permatex that had squeezed out around the gasket on the cover, the washer stuck to the cover when I picked it up - but I of course didn't see it. When I laid the cover on the rear housing of the engine, it knocked the washer loose and it fell in, bounced off the reversing gear and into the oil pan.

Just glad I noticed it happen...

[domenic]

Can't find neutral? Most shift controls are built the same. Neutral is at the top center...how do you find the center? On the bottom of the shifter you should have a stem with a screw in the bottom. You might have to remove the shifter from its mounting to reach the screw. Take the screw out, it will be followed by a spring. On the top of the spring should be a ball bearing. Chances are it's not there. These ball bearings seem to just Vanish. On the bottom of the shifter is a half round hole were the ball bearing sits when the shifter is in neutral. You can find the ball bearing you need in a hardware store for about .35 cents. Take the spring with you to the hardware store, The ball bearing should sit on top of the spring, but no wider. When you shift into neutral, the ball bearing will click as it sits in the half round hole on the bottom of the shifter handle. If you are still not in full neutral after the ball clicks in, push the handle on the gear box into neutral, and reset your cables.
I have no idea where these ball bearings go, they are like the lost sock. Good Idea to have several extra on board.

[edwardc]

I have no idea where these ball bearings go, they are like the lost sock.

Somewhere, in a Universe parallel to our own, someone is saying
" I wonder where these extra ball bearings keep coming from?"

[domenic]

LOL, Ed you are right. After I found the spring, and the half hole in the handle, I knew the spring had to move something. After that event, the stupid cable went out...! I think the boat figured out she has a sucker that will fix everything, and she is putting it to me piece by piece. I have a smart boat.