Outboard Jet Safety Problem

[Wood Shampoo]

I am having a major safety problem with my older Mercury 115 hp jet that is a tiller. The problem is, when I have the shifting lever in the Forward position (the bucket is all the way down) and start to accelerate it will vibrate and slip a little towards the Neutral slot (just a hair). Now that it has move towards Neutral, the water will catch the bucket and push it into the flow coming out of the jet and the motor kicks up like I hit a rock or log. Needless to say, it scares the crap out of you! The only way I have found to solve the problem is to put a rubber tube around the tiller handle and the shifting lever which puts preasure on the lever to stay in a forward position. Problem with this is, if I need to go into Reverse, I then have to remove the tight fitting rubber tube. I was looking at the molded hard plastic piece that the shifting lever sits in and it looks as though the notches are not deep enough.

Has anyone ever experienced this and if so, how did you solve it?

Any Ideas?

Thanks!

Ty

[Hogmaster]

Every tiller sled I have owned and most that I see have a bungee to hold the shift lever in gear to prevent exactly the problem you are describing.

With the proper tension you should be able to still get it in reverse while it will hold the lever in forward while motoring.

Try loosening it up a little and see if it works.

The shift linkage down at the shoe may be worn, but I would try the looser strap first.

Good luck!

:cheers:

[Keta]

I put a heavier spring in the shift detent and stopped this.