Finally took delivery on the new boat...Why is my motor doing this?

[JT Kukucka]

I have some kind of problem with my transmission. My boat a 2001 Nx 882 With a 150 EFI, The engine is getting stuck in gear when i shift back into neutral. This is very dangerous as i almost hit a dock because the motor would not shift into neutral. TO get it into neutral I first have to either jiggle the throttle, when it is already in the neutral position...this does not always work, when i was loading it onto the trailer it got stuck in gear, and i had to put it into reverse and then back into neutral to get it to shift out of forward. I think the dealer must not have rigged the boat correctly..I have a hotfoot on it and the cables must need some kind of adjustment. This problem did not occur my first time out in the boat, it started happening my second time out and it was 10 times worse this morning. This is very dangerous and needs to be fixed.

I also have another problem. My trolling motor is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to put into and pull out of the water. I have to pull on the rope as hard as i can(and I am not a weak guy at 210 lbs) This cannot be normal. Any ideas on why this is occuring? Other than these problems the boat is great. Have already gotten numerous comments at the ramp from fellow boaters.

 

[Jim Walden]

I can't help you with the shifting problem, but my brother in-law just got a new 882 about a month ago and had the same problem with his trolling motor. The rubber feet (or bushings) they use on the mount are all the same size. When they tighten down the mounting bolts the mount twists to conform to the shape of the bow, which causes the latching pins to bind.
He solved the problem himself by replacing the right front rubber bushing with a thicker one. It works smoothly with little effort now.

 

[Marke Cicero]

Hey JT,

I can't help with the shifting either other than tell you to get looked at ASAP.

My trolling motor was just like yours too but broke in after a few outings. Now it's a piece of cake.

If it doesn't break in, Jim's fix sounds easy enough.

Good luck,

Marke