15 Hp Yamaha Shifting Problems

Sharphooks

Well-Known Member
Getting ready for my annual Fall Skeena River trip and test ran my 15 Hp Yamaha. Fired up on first pull but wouldn't go into gear!
Pulled the L.U. off and the shift lever was impossible to manually move pull up or down (using vise grips)

Reattached, fired it up, and while it was running, flipped the gear shift level while at the same time, pulled upwards on the shift shaft (where you can get at it half-way down the leg) with vice grips and using a large chisel as a lever, finally got it into FWD. Then did the same back to N, and with HUGE effort, got it into "R" (using vice grips and shift lever)

Each time, there was no gnashing of gears; it just took a HUGE amount of force to get it in and out of gear

I did this about 10 times and it seemed to loosen it up (a bit)----- Wouldn't be thrilling to get in Class IV Skeena rapids and have shifting problems...

It's not in the shift mechanism in the cowling by the powerhead---when the connecting nut that tie the two pieces of the shift-shaft together was removed, the lever operating the upper shift shaft shifted smooth as silk---it's the shift-shaft down in the L.U. or "gear assembly" as Yamaha calls it.

I'm going to change gear oil today but I'm not sure that will address the stick

any suggestions on what I could do to address the stick? Vintage of the Yammie is approx. 1985 (2-stroke)
 
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