RI Grady said:
My older yamaha 200 is not going in to forward gear very well. It goes in reverse easily but makes a clicking sound when going in forward like the gear is not catching. Is there an adjustment for this?
there are a few possible causes. The first step is to take a look at the shift linkage under the cowling, You want to see if the shift level is moving as far as it should. You can easily disconnect the clevis pin and manually (with your fingers or with a pliers) rotate the shift lever to see what 'normal' range of movement is. Then with the shift rod and clevis connected, put the shift at the helm in forward and see if the shift lever at the motor moved as far as it should.
The shift cable may need to be adjusted or in some cases, the clip that holds the cable at the motor has become undone or has broken.
Adjustment issues are the most common problems.
The cable itself may be damaged inside causing stretch. The movement at the helm does not equal the movement at the motor.
The helm swifter may be out of adjustment or damaged ( not that common)
The worst case is that the clutch dogs in the lower unit are worn or broken. Hopefully that is not the case.
So open the cowling, check the linkage and adjust as needed.
Oh, make sure the shift lever at the motor is firmly connected to the shift rod too.
It helps to have a second person at the helm. Note that the shiftier may not engage the clutch dogs sometimes when the motor is not running. The clutch doge may not align up correctly. In that case you can try to rotate the prop a small amount by hand to see if the clutched engage properly. When engaged and the motor not running, you will not be able to rotate the prop of course.
Good luck
