New owner-Stuck in reverse

[sanes8705]

Hello all. New to jet boats (and boats in general). Recently purchased a 2008 Sea-Doo 180 Challenger and took it out for the first time this past weekend. The boat ran great (outside of the bilge pump going out and almost sinking ), but upon trailering the boat got stuck in reverse and would not go forward. I shifted back and forth a few times to see if it would get unstuck but nothing, still wanted to go backwards. We eventually roped it onto the trailer and got it home.

Once we got home, I had my wife shift back and forth and I noticed the reverse gate is stuck down. I can force it upwards with my hand but it will not go back up on its own when shifting back into neutral or forward. I’m guessing it’s something to do with the reverse cable? I can see the cable move a bit but it does not move the reverse gate at all. Any tips or knowledge on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dave burke]

Congrats on the new boat and welcome to the forum.

Was in working fine before you trailered it? Is it possible you hit something taking it out of the water?

Try disconnecting the cable linkage from the reverse gate. That should at least tell you whether it’s the gate or the cable. Both should move freely.

And post some pictures. That might us with the diagnosis.

 

[sanes8705]

Congrats on the new boat and welcome to the forum.

Was in working fine before you trailered it? Is it possible you hit something taking it out of the water?

Try disconnecting the cable linkage from the reverse gate. That should at least tell you whether it’s the gate or the cable. Both should move freely.

And post some pictures. That might us with the diagnosis.

Worked fine all day until I got about 15 feet from the ramp. I put it in reverse to slow down a bit, then back in drive and gave it some throttle to ease up on the trailer but it just kept going in reverse. I’ll work on getting some pictures.

 

[buckbuck]

I am not sure about yours but on the Yamaha's going to reverse near the ramp can sometimes kick up gravel off the bottom that gets jambed in the reverse bucket. Take a look at the rotating parts for small rocks.

 

[sanes8705]

Congrats on the new boat and welcome to the forum.

Was in working fine before you trailered it? Is it possible you hit something taking it out of the water?

Try disconnecting the cable linkage from the reverse gate. That should at least tell you whether it’s the gate or the cable. Both should move freely.

And post some pictures. That might us with the diagnosis.

Here are a some pictures. The first 4 are while in reverse. The last 4 are while in drive. Putting it in reverse pushes the gate all the way down. Putting it in forward only pulls the gate up to about a 45 degree angle.

 

[Dean P]

Hi! to the forum. Here is your problem. This piece must be pushed down. This is the nut which controls your buckets position. There needs to be a cap to protect it and a SS cotter pin to hold the cap down.

 

[Dean P]

Here's a picture of what it should look like. When pushing the nut back or forward into the hole, do not turn it. This will adjust the bucket and may give you unfavorable results. You may have to disconnect the cable from the bucket to do this.



When assembling the cable rod back onto the fixture, make sure the hole in the rod slides onto the sleeve and there is no gap. Be sure to tighten this lock nut. You don't want that falling or vibrating off.

 

[sanes8705]

Hi! to the forum. Here is your problem. This piece must be pushed down. This is the nut which controls your buckets position. There needs to be a cap to protect it and a SS cotter pin to hold the cap down.

View attachment 121176

So is it possible I just need the pieces in the diagram? I was able to make it stay in the hole for a few shifts and works properly but obviously it will not stay down in its current condition.

 

[Dean P]

As long as items 35 and 36 are not damaged and fit into their respective places you're fine. The cap #37 and cotter pin #38 is what you need. The cotter pin keeps the cap in place. Make sure it's stainless steel so it doesn't rust.

 

[sanes8705]

As long as items 35 and 36 are not damaged and fit into their respective places you're fine. The cap #37 and cotter pin #38 is what you need. The cotter pin keeps the cap in place. Make sure it's stainless steel so it doesn't rust.

What keeps it from coming out of the hole every time? I don’t see where it threads into anything on the bottom side of it.

 

[sanes8705]

Is it the cotter pin and cap that hold it in place?

 

[Dean P]

Is it the cotter pin and cap that hold it in place?

Yes. It's kinda hokey/poor idea but it works As long as the cap cannot come off, everything stays in place.