Prop turns while in neutral...normal?
 

I have noticed with the engine running my shaft slowly turns fwd when in neutral. On land we verified that in neutral with engine off it is possible to turn the prop freely and while in gear of course the prop turns but you can feel the engine turning over with it. Wondering if it is common to see the shaft spinning while running in neutral? It really does not seem to be an issue as far as handling the boat goes, as it turns quite slowly.

I ask because I get slippage in fwd at higher rpm, which we rarely see because the engine is only run to get in and out of the marina. At some point I may want to adjust fwd to eliminate the slipping and am wondering whether the condition I've described above warrants looking at as well.

Indy, the prop spinning in neutral is just the friction in the trans and it delivers no real power. Don't worry about it. Neutral is illusive in these transitions.

The trans should not slip in forward gear! You should feel a definite "CLICK" as it locks into the detent that "holds" it in gear. If it slips it is a simple adjustment.

There is no means to lock the trans in reverse, you must hold pressure against the shifter to keep reverse engaged.

Dave Neptune :cool:

The short answer is yes, it is not uncommon for the prop to turn slowly when in the "Neutral" position. (Mine does)
Especially with a good, lubed (dripping) stuffing box.

Getting a definitive neutral "zone" is a bit of an art. :cool:

Attached is the procedure for adjusting.

Also, you might benefit by reading this TECH TIP

Thanks for the replies- I have the Moyer Manual and may try adjusting forward at some point later this year. I can't tell from the description whether there is a gasket on the cover plate?

Yes there is a gasket. Unless it was sealed it is a gasket that can be reused.

Dave Neptune :cool:

Returning to this thread, thanks again for the tips, by the way.

I think I'll try adjusting forward next season. I'm a little leery adjusting it on the hard over the winter because it seems you just don't really know the effect of one notch v. more with respect to forward and it may be a job that requires more than one attempt. And I'd rather be able to do this at the slip rather than (mis)trusting my off season work when I slide off the trailer at the ramp.

Also, reviewing the way forward and reverse operate, it seems adjusting forward will have no effect on the reversing function, as they are separate. Is that correct? My reverse is sort of perfect and I don't wish to lose that.