Honda BF 50 in reverse is ... GAAHHHH!!

[DaveC426913]

When I slip my Honda into reverse, it's always been a little grindy unless I give it a little extra juice. (5% throttle is too little, gotta go to 10%)

If I try to go too fast in reverse (20%), the engine kicks up badly.

So there was a sweet spot between the two (11-19%).

Well, that sweet spot has disappeared. There is now no throttle in which it is not too slow to grind, or not too fast to kick, or both. Can be heard all across the lagoon.

I guess it's time for a visit to the shop. Or, being that it's in the water, and it's a long summer, it may be time for the shop to visit me.

[yukonbob]

Sounds like your shift linkage was outta whack, easy fix. Bad news is it sounds like you have a lot of metal teeth floating around your lower leg, or worse yet bent your drive shaft and damaged your motor, probably not though from what you described. Hope its a simple fix

[Tomfoolery]

If I try to go too fast in reverse (20%), the engine kicks up badly.

The BF50 has load-holding valves in both directions (a class of valve that prevents flow unless driven through under power), so the OB should not kick up in reverse any more than it should push forward if trimmed off the lower stop. Sounds like something wrong in the power tilt/trim unit.

That's in addition to what's wrong in the gear case, of course. Have you drained the gear oil to look for glitter, gray, and/or water?

[DaveC426913]

Good news: the O/B mechanic can fit me in next week
Bad news: parts tend to take a week

This is a tough decision.

Paul at Klaus Marine told mew there's two Macs ahead of me. Why do I get the feeling someone here on the board is in my way?

[seahouse]

You probably already know this, but I see it all the time at marinas where people (likely with the best of intentions) ease the motor into gear. It's not good to do, and your ears will tell you that, by the grinding sound that gets made in protest. (Motorcycles, same thing). These are not synchromesh transmissions!

I've heard people idle out the entire (1000+ feet) length of our marina with the gears grinding the entire way. Yikes!

Every motor lever has a travel distance that the lever makes before it fully engages the gear, either forward, or reverse (it's sometimes half or more of the entire travel of the lever). You must travel through that arc quickly and crisply to minimize wear on the gear train. And then apply additional throttle, as a separate and distinct movement, to begin moving forward.

This is all important when pulling a skier,etc. One hit to put it into gear (and no further) and then a second, full-throttle hit to "hit it"!

Dave you might also check - there might be a mechanical down lock on your motor for reversing, but these (usually a flip lever) are found mostly on manual-tilt motors.

[Seapup]

Sounds to me like a sticky shift rod that needs lubed. Is it stiff shifting at all? The shift rod usually runs down through the mid unit and several bushings to the lower unit. As they start to corrode it will only want to partially shift until it pops into gear all at once with the just the right amount of force.

[frede]

Page 55 of the manual. Valve adjustment for the motor tilting up when operated in reverse.

[DaveC426913]

Page 55 of the manual.

Tricky - in a manual that is only 23 pages.

[frede]

Mine must be bigger than yours, it goes to 118:

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/mar ... ZW3602.pdf

[DaveC426913]

I have a Seloc manual. It doesn't show that diagram.

Thanks. I'll check that out.

[Gater Dunn]

I also had shifting and throttle issues ( in reverse the motor almost jumped out of water with a loud clunking sound ) I replaced both cables and problem went away although after one year motor doesn't idle well so cable may have stretched a little, the mechanic can adjust that as its going in for servicing before hitting the water.

[DaveC426913]

I also had shifting and throttle issues ( in reverse the motor almost jumped out of water with a loud clunking sound ) I replaced both cables and problem went away although after one year motor doesn't idle well so cable may have stretched a little, the mechanic can adjust that as its going in for servicing before hitting the water.

Sorry. To clarify: you replaced the shift cables and your motor stopped jumping?


I replaced my cables the first year I had her (couple of years ago) when the shifter failed and got stuck in-gear (at the dock, with a line on fortunately!).

My engine repair friend suggests that the shifting problem may be solved merely by a slight adjustment in the thingamajig that links cable position to gear position. Move it a little toward Reverse, and away from Forward.

[Gater Dunn]

Dave
yes adjusting that little thinga ma jig while replacing the cables may have fixed the shifting problems. the original posters description sounded similar to what my motor did while idling in reverse IE a clunk that made motor jump possibly in and out of gear but not out of the water the tilt hydraulics stopped it. My Throttle and gear cables where old (10yrs) and cracking and stiff so I replaced and solved all problems.

[DaveC426913]

...the original posters description ...

That was me!

[Gater Dunn]

has anyone ever had a argument with themselves while posting