Stuck in reverse!

[sanes05]

Hello all. New to jet boats (and boats in general). Recently purchased a 2008 Sea-Doo 180 Challenger and took it out for the first time this past weekend. The boat ran great (outside of the bilge pump going out and almost sinking ), but upon trailering the boat got stuck in reverse and would not go forward. I shifted back and forth a few times to see if it would get unstuck but nothing, still wanted to go backwards. We eventually roped it onto the trailer and got it home.

Once we got home, I had my wife shift back and forth and I noticed the reverse gate is stuck down. I can force it upwards with my hand but it will not go back up on its own when shifting back into neutral or forward. I’m guessing it’s something to do with the reverse cable? I can see the cable move a bit but it does not move the reverse gate at all. Any tips or knowledge on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[WaTeRMaNiaC407]

I had this same thing happen and had to replace the reverse cable. When you do that you may also want to replace the cable lock nut (part 277001729) as well. Some people have had the lock nut break and that will also cause the problem you are experiencing. There is a brass version of that nut and I would recommend that you install that as opposed to another plastic one that could fail in the future. Search the part number with the word brass at the end of it.

It is not that hard to replace the cable but I did have a very hard timer removing the screws on the control assembly and that was definitely the hardest part of the project.

If you don't have a service manual for the boat, you are going to want to get one as soon as possible if you are going to be working on things yourself. You will need it.

Good Luck and hope you get back on the water soon.

 

[sanes05]

I had this same thing happen and had to replace the reverse cable. When you do that you may also want to replace the cable lock nut (part 277001729) as well. Some people have had the lock nut break and that will also cause the problem you are experiencing. There is a brass version of that nut and I would recommend that you install that as opposed to another plastic one that could fail in the future. Search the part number with the word brass at the end of it.

It is not that hard to replace the cable but I did have a very hard timer removing the screws on the control assembly and that was definitely the hardest part of the project.

If you don't have a service manual for the boat, you are going to want to get one as soon as possible if you are going to be working on things yourself. You will need it.

Good Luck and hope you get back on the water soon.

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and bought the cable, brass nut, and removal tool along with the manual. About $150 for everything. Hopefully the install will go smoothly.