HELP! on the lake...

[jbruere]

Hoping someone can help me. I brought my Sea Ray Select 220 out today for girls day on the lake. We've been driving around for a bit and I noticed when I went from in gear to neutral I hear an awful grinding sound. I'm not sure what is causing this??? I did add engine oil because we were low. There was a bit of a smell at one point too. Just sitting now. Please help asap! Thanks!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Try going in and out of gear faster. See if that helps.

 

[beernutz]

Mercruisers are known to have a clunking sound when they shift into gear but I wouldn't characterize it as a grinding sound. Did you check your gear lube?

 

[jbruere]

I did add gear lube too... the grinding didn't start until I was in neutral. We'll sit for a bit then hopefully its fixed. Really gonna put a damper on girls day dang it! Thanks for helping guys. I'm not too far from the boat ramp but will have a little ways to get there. Hate to do more damage.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Are you saying the grinding happens constantly when it's in neutral? That's different than when going back and forth between neutral and a gear. If this is the case, you may have a loose/broken shift cable (possibly just very much stretched). Take a look at the black cables that are to your right (as you look at it from inside the boat) of the plastic cover that says "Mercruiser" on it (top, center of engine). The cables are attached to the starboard riser... which is the very solid, large, black, metal piece that has a very large hose attached to the backside of it. You're not likely to do any major repairs there on the water, but you may get lucky and see that something is "out of place" and maybe you can tighten it back up.

 

[Bucit]

If the shift cable is stretched and when you shift into neutral the outdrive is really in between froward and neutral which could cause the grinding sound. Try shifting from neutral to a little bit in reverse and see if the grinding stops. If it does then you need a new shift cable or possible just an adjustment.

 

[jbruere]

It grinds for a few seconds in neutral then stops.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Then that sounds like the cable needs adjustment or that the mount is loose. Jiggling the shift lever, as indicated above, might be enough to get you by for today. Go have fun, just be careful.

 

[BlewByYou88]

Umm, this person is running a bravo dirve, there shouldn't be any grinding noises.