Won't Shift Into Neutral

[Protip]

I could use some help guys. I was trying to sell my 220 today and haven't had it out hardly at all this season. Took a guy on a test drive this afternoon and it ran like a top with no issues. He decided he wanted it and was trying to go out on it today. We got the deal done right at dusk. As he started backing out of the slip I heard the alarm for gear oil and he headed on out. Called me 5 minutes later and said he couldn't get it into neutral. I told him there was gear oil under the seat but that he should probably limp it back to the marina before he turned it off. Now he wants me to pay to have whatever happened fixed. Just curious what I may be in for. I haven't seen it since but he said it drank all of the gear oil and he added it while it was running.

[cmattj]

Not being there is tricky. Did he shift it with the engine off? As bravos don’t have a tolerance to withstand that. The sensor for fluid is in the resv bottle. So it may have only starved a short period.
But here’s the other scenario that is a result of a low fluid level.
The cone clutch engages as the engine is spinning and with the shifting fork helping it in either direction it grabs the facing and spirals the gears together. If the fluid got below the top hat of the cone clutch it may have overheated and glued itself to the facing the cone clutch rides in . Thus it won’t come out of gear.
Hard to unstick without pin fork damage but a shop maybe able to save it and find the leak that started this.
Worst scenario is a gear set that include cone clutches , along with bearings.

[akorcovelos]

Will it go into reverse, or it’s stuck in forward?

[Protip]

Sounds like this might get expensive.

[Protip]

Will it go into reverse, or it’s stuck in forward?

I'm not sure. Haven't been back out to see it and I don't have the keys anyway.

[akorcovelos]

I mean, not to sound like an ass, but the boat was sold as is, right? If you want to take the high road offer to meet him on the middle, but you don’t have to. You weren’t there, who really knows what happened.

[Big Block Power]

Maybe just the cable broke.

[Protip]

It was the cable.

[Protip]

I mean, not to sound like an ass, but the boat was sold as is, right? If you want to take the high road offer to meet him on the middle, but you don’t have to. You weren’t there, who really knows what happened.

I flipped the boat for a decent profit. Would rather make a friend than an enemy. Luckily it ended up just being the cable so no big deal.

[Big Block Power]

Yea I remembered my old old boat doing that. Good call on taking care of it. Helps start the new owner off on a better note.

[Krob1114]

Yea I remembered my old old boat doing that. Good call on taking care of it. Helps start the new owner off on a better note.

And they won't be bad mouthing you on cobaltchat.

[Krob1114]

I mean, not to sound like an ass, but the boat was sold as is, right? If you want to take the high road offer to meet him on the middle, but you don’t have to. You weren’t there, who really knows what happened.

I flipped the boat for a decent profit. Would rather make a friend than an enemy. Luckily it ended up just being the cable so no big deal.

And they won't be bad mouthing you on cobaltchat.