RPM and shift into gear...

[Dite]

I was getting the boat ready for a run to the lake this weekend and I hooked the motor (Merc 250 XB) up to water.

I started it up (it idled around 2200-2400 rpm) and let it idle for about 3-5 minutes, then I put it into gear and it idled between 600-700 rpm in gear. When it went into gear, it wasn't a smooth mesh and I didn't like the sound. I tried it a couple more times and the results were the same.

I wonder if the cables have stretched or..?

What should I do? I hate to use it if there is something not right with it.

[ssimpala71]

Starting it and running it on the hose you will have more noticable noise when shifting. Also on the hose you will have more audibly noticable "clutch rattle" which is the cogs rocking back and forth between the gears and clutch at a particular speed. If you never noticed it before at the lake I would suggest taking to the lake and running and shifting it there and see if you have that noise

[Dite]

I don't actually hook it to a hose, the motor is just to large. I do have a large plastic tub that allows the motor to be completely submerged. It is large enough that I can run the motor in gear, just not at high rpm's or the water gets sloshed out!

I just can't figure it out, it ran good without any noise a couple of months back when I tried it in the same tub.

[EuropeanAM]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I started it up (it idled around 2200-2400 rpm) and let it idle for about 3-5 minutes, then I put it into gear and it idled between 600-700 rpm in gear. When it went into gear, it wasn't a smooth mesh and I didn't like the sound. I tried it a couple more times and the results were the same.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Your engine should not be idling that high! Check the throttle cable attaching point on the left (port) side of the engine, and ensure that it is ALL THE WAY against the stop at idle.

There are other possibilities... but start there. Don't shift the engine again until you've attained a "neutral idle" that is less than 1100 RPM... PREFERABLY below 1000 RPM. Severe gearcase damage can result from high-rpm shifts!