can't go forward

[Bud Sheridan]

I have a 1979 A-4 direct drive, when I put the transmission in forward it stalls the engine. I barely have neutral that slips into reverse. reverse works great.
I bought your manual and tried adjusting the forward adjusting collar, but it would only loosen and i could not tighten it back. Do you have any suggestions?
Do i have to rebuild the transmission? thank you in advance for your help.
Bud

[Don Moyer]

Bud,

I'm not sure what you mean by being able to only loosen the forward adjusting collar, so my first suggestion is to review the adjusting procedure.

If you were not able to rotate the adjusting collar freely during the adjustment, it's probably because you missed the second step in the procedure which is to be sure to place the reversing gear in neutral by moving the shifting lever slightly fore and aft while rotating the prop shaft. The best neutral position of the shifting lever is at the point where the prop shaft turns most freely.

After you get control of the forward adjustment, you can then go back and readjust reverse to establish a comfortable neutral zone.

Be sure to take your time when retightening the retaining bolt in the forward adjusting collar. As per the manual, be sure that the tip of the retaining bolt is definitely in one of the notches before tightening the bolt.

The good news is that you probably will not have to rebuild your transmission.

Regards,

Don