reverse, prop climbs out of water

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60DRB

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OK, I'm sure plenty of you will have a good laugh at me and I'm fine with that...
I have a 1970 Mercury 9.8 which runs fine, but when I put it in reverse gear the propeller climbs up out of the water. I was looking under the mount area and saw a spring with a hooked (aft) end loose. Also, I am wondering what the little lever at the front bottom of the motor is for. I'll take a couple pictures when the light outside gets better.
 
So-ooooooooooo...
You ever notice when you really start looking close and thinking, sometimes you figure out how things work?
The metal spring/hook looked like it should hook on a metal bar. So I hooked it on, fiddled with the lever, and that (disconnect) was why the prop would climb out of the water.
Now I'm glad I figured it out, but I still kind of feel like an idiot. :p
 

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On the 9.8 that I had, there was some sort of linkage and hook that was supposed to engage the lock when you put it in reverse, but it never did really work right.

That little switch that your were pointing to is a troll switch, I don't know the exact purpose, but if you raise the motor, hold the button, and let it back down, it is supposed to hold the motor up at a steeper angle, for shallow water or something.
 
Not too familiar with the older mercury's, I do have an older Evinrude 5.5 hp that has a lever you flip. Having it unlocked allows it to pop up if you hit something.
 
I have a 1982 Merc 9.8 I'm fixing and it's tilt locking mechanism is broken. Prob due to the fact that the unlock bottom you are pointing to is plastic and after 40 years they just dont hold up lol.
 
Well I don't know about "troll" function...
If you need to use the reverse gear, the motor needs to be "locked down" so it doesn't climb out of the water.
The not locked down mode allows the motor to "bounce" off of logs, stumps, etc., instead of possibly causing pretty serious damage to the boat/motor if an impact occurs while at speed.
 
MrGiggles said:
That little switch that your were pointing to is a troll switch, I don't know the exact purpose, but if you raise the motor, hold the button, and let it back down, it is supposed to hold the motor up at a steeper angle, for shallow water or something.
That would be the 'shallow water drive' link on most brands and has nothing to do with trolling.
 
60DRB said:
So-ooooooooooo...
You ever notice when you really start looking close and thinking, sometimes you figure out how things work?
The metal spring/hook looked like it should hook on a metal bar. So I hooked it on, fiddled with the lever, and that (disconnect) was why the prop would climb out of the water.
Now I'm glad I figured it out, but I still kind of feel like an idiot. :p

Dont be so hard on yourself, we have people for that. :lol:
 

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