I have a 85hp Evinrude outboard from 1978, with a Johnson control. The combination shift and throttle lever on the control will not lock into neutral, or go into reverse. (It just stops dead in its' tracks.) It will however go into forward. I know the problem is in the control because it still refused to move even after disconnecting the cables at the motor. Anyone have any ideas on what the problem is? Thanks for your help!
That old box has a lift up warm up and can cause issue it has to be adjusted and down or the shift won't work.Or something it out of Adj inside the box.
Most likely a seized cable. The box has little to fail, but a cable can easily fail over time and if neglected. Cables are not expensive, I suggest Morse type as the best for commercial work, and almost indestructible for casual recreational use. Much superior to most stock cables.
Evinrude Throttle Control
