25 elec start yamaha needs help

[rp]

The motor runs fine and I think I have finally conquered the issue of keeping it locked down in reverse. Only needed to rebuild the lower units, so it appears. Go figure, that's not where the lock is....

Anyway, I have to fiddle with the placement of the shift handle when it should be in neutral to start. I have to move it back and forth while pushing the button to engage the start. There has to be some switch I need to check for connection or something. Where is it? What is it? Could my little opuch start button be screwing up? The starter is not dragging at all.

No, I have not tried the pull start to see if it works. The rope has probably rotted out anyway. 22 years old. If there is a safety switch and it's bad, I doubt pull start would make a differ.

If it was my Dodge, I'd climb under and plug the neutral safety switch back in, but I disabled it entirely.

My mechanic suggested I take a video when it happens but I only have 2 hands.

Any ideas?

[justpracticin]

2 stroke or 4?

[rp]

2 - screw the EPA

I have found that this motor does have a neutral safety switch so I plan to look at that. It is held in place with one screw from what I see and maybe it is not doing it's job.

Other ideas are welcome

[SouthernWake]

Neutral safety switch has my vote as well for where to start.

[willyworm]

Connections on that switch are likely corroded or the switch itself is bad. If it's anything like the bigger motors you can simply unplug the aforementioned connections and bypass the dang thing. And yes it will start if pull it. That neutral switch only prevents the starter from turning over, it doesn't prevent the motor from running once it's started.

Is the switch under the cowl, or on the tiller handle?

[rp]

Willy, under the cowl. Looks like it's buried behind a lot of other electronics.

[2thDoc]

go to sleep, old man

[Palmetto Bug]

I saw a guy start a tiller engine on a john boat that had the neutral switch by-passed. When he yanked the starter rope, it cranked up in gear at wide open throttle. It did a bat turn and threw both occupants out of the boat and then proceeded to circle at high speed trying to run over them. Another courageous boater came to their rescue and managed to swamp the runaway boat with his wake. Had he not been there, the john boat probably would have eventually run over the two guys treading water.

[rp]

go to sleep, old man

Us old farts require less sleep, child.

[scdiver]

The linkage adjustment should fix the reverse issue.

My starter went bad on mine and did something similar. Does it click when you push the button if it doesn't engage?

[Rubberhead*]

My first thought, like scdiver, was the linkage adjustment. Mine's pretty persnickety and only works properly in a very tight range. And, just because you think you've got it right you still need to test it on the water because if it's not solidly in gear it'll spin the prop at low RPMs but knock itself out of gear once any force is applied. You can put the back end in the water at a boat ramp and leave the boat on the trailer to make sure it's right. Just put it in forward and reverse gear and apply some thrust. It's worth the time to get it right then lock it down good with the opposing nut.

[rp]

The linkage adjustment should fix the reverse issue.

My starter went bad on mine and did something similar. Does it click when you push the button if it doesn't engage?

At times it does not do a damn thing until I move the shifter around. It connects and starts right up. No clicking.

I think the reverse matter is fixed. I could not get it to do it this weekend at all.