TOPIC: 1967 Starflite 100-S won't go fully into gear?

1967 Starflight 100-S. Thanks to this forum and others like it I was able to figure out the year and get it running really great. One day while out on the water the linkage for the throttle came off as I was pulling up to the dock and it would not throttle down. I had to throw it into reverse and back into forward so as to get to the dock and then I shut it off quickly. I got home and found the linkage off and fixed that thinking all my problems were gone. The next time I went on the water the boat acted like it was only partially in gear. It would go at low speed but put any throttle to it and it just revs up and goes no where. The motor starts and runs great still. Any help here to get the kids back on the tubes and me fishing would be great.

Jaws, First things first. Welcome aboard, like the government...we are here to help

Is it a manual shift or a selectric/electrical shifter?
Cal

Sorry I left that out. It is the electric or Selectric shift. I may be wrong about this but I thought that is what the "S" stands for.

If you threw it in forward and then reverse at half throttle or more, you prolly got some damage in the gearcase or a wrung in two driveshaft or splines stripped off the driveshaft where it goes into the engine crank or the lower end in the foot. No way of knowing without a tear down,but it's a good bet you got problems.

Not at half throttle, was just slightly higher than normal gear changing speed. Still know that was not good, I had no choice coming to the dock. Not in the "foot", pulled that apart and the gears are good. Anyone know how this "Selectric" drive system works? This is new to me.

You shifted into reverse while making way ahead?
If so, check your shear pin, and your hub to propeller integrity.
Just about guaranteed that is where your problem is.
With motor off, put it into gear, try moving propeller. If it moves find out if the hub or shear pin is the problem.

Electric shift. Can not put into gear with motor off. Pulled propeller off and checked everything on that end, pulled the entire gears out to check them. This is why I am wondering exactly how the electric shift works on these motors. If I have some idea then I may be able to make headway.

If your gears are out,take some pics of them so maybe we can see what the problem is. And also your driveshaft that goes up to the engine. take your prop,put a screwdriver through the hole and into a vise and try to twist the prop without the center turning.If the prop turns and the center doesn't, bad hub. PS You can turn your key on (not starting) and the unit should shift and lock the prop.

jaws5991,

WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

With the motor not running you check the shift as follows.----Turn key to " on " and put it in forward.

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Prop should lock up turning CCW and drag going CW.

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Put in reverse and prop should lock going CW and drag a bit going CCW.----Sounds like you may have broken a tab on the forward spring.

I will do this and get back to you. Thank you very much for the help.

That is exactly what it did Professor. Now what? Is there a diagram out there of how this drive system works? Are their parts out there to fix this and are they really spendy? I love this motor man. It has made my kids very happy for a very long time. We've had our issues but she is running really great right now, other than the drive anyway. I have no idea, with the locking system on the cable, how the throttle could have come off by itself in the first place. Thanks again.

What happened during your testing ???????

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The magnet pulls on the clutch spring.----The clutch spring then wraps itself on the drum to drive the propshaft.----Elegantly simple system.

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Parts ??/

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Depends on where you are as in some locales there are plenty of used parts and used lower units available.

My testing went exactly like you said it would. It wouldn't turn when was not supposed to and it dragged but went when it was supposed to just like you said. So you believe I broke a tab on the forward spring is that correct? I am in north eastern South Dakota, Watertown SD. Aptly named and great for boaters. Any ideas on what to do next? For the record here, when I initially removed the prop and took off the plate behind it I found a single wire there that was broken and I did my best to solder and shrink wrap it back together after removing the shaft and gears to make sure they all were in good shape, which they were. Any chance that wire is broken somewhere else? I worked in a machine shop repairing and improving all kinds of motors, except boat and small engines ,for several years and am a licensed plumbing contractor. Thanks.

You didn't say if you verified the prop hub isn't slipping.

The wire at the back is for reverse.

My apologies and thanks. I didn't see the prop hub message. I looked back and there it was so I immediately, 12:50 am, went out to check it. I just took the cover off the back and put the motor in gear and spun the prop, which it did, meaning bad hub. This has got to be Boating 101. This must be the first thing a person learns to look for in that situation and you must all find me really below par. I have repaired a lot of things on this motor and had no idea the prop could do that. I am now sure it is made that way for the exact reason I had, in case it is shifted into other gears at higher RPM's or from forward to reverse suddenly, in order to save the motor and it's gears. I spent 15 minutes rummaging through my garage finding the extra prop I was given when I bought the boat, like 7 years ago, and put it on. If tomorrow is good it will be in the water. I can not thank all of you enough, and to double check me like that jimandros, that's awesome. I will be letting you all know how it goes. On behalf of my kids, another thank you goes out.

Some other thoughts. To have a forum like this with the knowledge of all the experienced boaters and repair people is just beyond awesome. If we were to have an ugly boat contest I would probably win it. But, I love my 1967 put the oil in the gas Evinrude motor, not so much what it's on, but definitely the motor. Who else but this forum would care enough to get me and it back in the water? I can not afford to have other people repair my stuff and generally wouldn't have them do it anyway, I love to do it. I have always repaired all my own stuff from TV's to water heaters to rebuilding my own truck engine to building my own home from cement to roofing. Some things can only be done with help/knowledge though and this forum came through big time with that. I paid very little for a boat I found on Craigslist but never has a purchase paid off so well. I can tow 3, pretty big now, kids on a tube at speeds people looking at my boat can't believe and tow a plug slow enough to catch walleye with this motor just like one of the old ads I saw on here somewhere said it could do. From finding out that I needed to put oil in the gas, which I didn't until after a quick first trip out, to how much oil to put in the gas, to this prop problem, I owe it being out there on the water and giving my kids and me time together to this forum. Thank you and Happy 4th of July.

Kudos to you and have a great weekend. What you said is a good cross section of the people on this site. Hard working, down to earth guys/gals who enjoy and have a passion for boating. Invaluable information for those who just ask. I'm sure with your experiences with this motor there are some things you can share with others so keep on snooping around and show up once in awhile.

Right now my 4 banger 1967 OMC is in pieces waiting for a timing belt so the 4th is landlocked for me.

Cal

Well..... I finally got the boat out in some slightly choppy water. It's a deep "V" so no big deal, kinda. Everything was great as I tooled around the dock making sure my problem was fixed, and it was/is. I hit the throttle and blasted to the middle of the lake and shut it down to rig poles. It flew out there too, ran just like new. I then started her up to go troll and it started but when I pushed the button to go forward there was nothing. Luckily reverse worked, I took on a lot of water but it worked. I had to let the wind push me back to shore and then I would reverse and I did this all the way back to the dock, took about an hour and a half. I checked on shore by turning the key to on and pushing each button and like on the water in forward there was no resistance either way. Another broken wire or something I guess. I have had to replace a bunch of brittle wire on this motor and that reverse one was broke and I didn't even know about it until removing the cover. It will have to sit for at least a week now because we are headed to the Hills for vacation. Any ideas let me know and I will check back when we get home. Thanks everybody.

I traced the new problem back to the push button for the gears. The forward button was not getting any juice. I took it apart and found one of the plastic/cardboard sliding pieces was broke inside the unit. No fixing it. I bought a ON/OFF/ON toggle switch and it should work right. I will obviously need to be careful putting it into and out of gear but at least it will go and I have a boat again.