VMax Shifting Problems

[rickstevens]

I've got a 2004 225 VMax HPDI and a hot foot. When it was new and I would shift into forward it was smooth and the shifter handle would click into place when it got to the right position. The same going into neutral and reverse. After the second powerhead was repalced two years ago things just didn't feel or sound the same. Shifting was a lilttle harder, the handle didn't always click into place and it seemed to bang into gear louder than it ever had. I also noticed some back and forth play in the prop when in gear. My mechanic talked to Yamaha and consensus was that everything was normal. The other day I had a hard time shifting into foreward and never got the clicking sound or feel when the shifter handle reached the right position. But it was going into gear. When I got home I pulled the engine cover just to make sure my shift linkage looked OK, which it did. I put it in gear and checked the prop and now I have three times the back and forth play than I did the last time I checked it. Anyone know what could be happening?

[Texas Larry]

It sounds kind of like it isn't going into forward all the way. Could be shift cable is out of adjustment, I would try that first. I assume it is going into reverse properly. Have you replaced the water pump lately?

[BILL CUSANO]

i have the same thing going on with mine and yes i just had a water pump changed out this winter , ever since it ain't been rite

[rickstevens]

My water pump was replaced when the powerhead was replaced and after that shifting was never as smooth as it was before. Thursday is when I was really having problems shifting into foreward but it was much better this weekend. When I think back to Thursday, I backed the boat off the trailer, put it foreward with no problem and drove toward the dock. The wind was pushing me fast into the dock and I shifted back into reverse a little faster than maybe I should have. When I got back into the boat and put in foreward again for the first time is when I noticed the problem. I think I read under the Mercury forum that you can bend your shift rod in you try to force it into gear. Maybe I bent my shift rod Thursday and the more I used it over the weekend the more it straightened back out-----??

[skeeter202]

i had the same problem and it was a piece of a zip tie that had gotten into the linkage in front of the block where it goes into lower unit , took a light and shined while a friend moved the control and seen it . got it out greased up everythin and fine now .

[EL Skeeter]

I've had a loose bolt keeping my shifter from engaging properly a couple years ago.Still don t know where it came from.