4. Is it normal for a prop shaft to turn slightly while the reversing gear is in neutral?

It's not uncommon for a prop shaft to turn slowly with the engine in neutral. Both forward and reverse are clutch functions, and neutral is nothing more than the space between the two.

Here are some suggestions that might enable you to minimize the degree to which your prop shaft turns:

1) Be sure that your shifting lever is positioned in the very center of the neutral range. The best neutral point might not be in the straight up position. With the engine off, place the shifting lever where you currently think the neutral zone is located. Then grab the prop shaft and try to turn it by hand. You may find that the shaft becomes easier to turn when you move the shifting lever slightly fore or aft from where you originally thought it should be for neutral. This position would be the neutral position for your particular boat.

2) Your neutral range might be needlessly small, which will make finding the best neutral zone more difficult. In this case, you might be able to enlarge the zone by simply backing off a bit on your reverse adjustment. You can find the complete adjustment procedure in Chapter 6 of our service and overhaul manual; but basically, you would have to turn the 3/4" nut on the left end of the reversing brake band a half turn or so in the counter-clockwise direction (just like loosening a nut on a bolt).

3) The adjustment on your boat's cable system might be such that your neutral zone is not centered well in terms of fore and aft travel. This can be especially troublesome in the case of pedestal mounted shifting levers where travel is somewhat limited compared to levers mounted on the side of the cockpit. - Updated: February 5, 2004