Lower unit seems to shift but slips under load?

[sailingunc]

93 Yamaha lower unit installed last season ran fine 2014 and up until this month from April 2015....then seemed to start slipping...finally lost thrust completely in fwd and reverse? Seems to shift F N R but can turn prop manually in both directions in gear? When out of the water in gear prop seems to turn F and R but in water, no thrust? We thought at first it might be spun prop, but when we checked and found we could turn in gear both directions without locking, we knew it was something in the unit...maybe clutch dogs? There is no grinding noise shifting in F N R ? Water pump seems to be pumping ok and engine runs ok...but just before the gears slipped, it started overheating all alert warnings came on...oil to engine was fine, water pump seemed to be pumping??? What do you think the problem may be?

Thanks

[Justin.M]

Kinda does sound like a spun prop. If not that, maybe i would check if the cable control is engaging the gears is working properly and if it is then i will be looking at the gear case. Is it making a clicking sound when you turn the prop in gears?

[admin]

Have you checked the unit for metal? The bottom plug should be full of metal if the clutch or gears failed. The driveshaft could snap, but the symptom would be everything is good, and then no thrust. It wouldn't slip and then start working again.

Tech Support

[sailingunc]

Have you checked the unit for metal? The bottom plug should be full of metal if the clutch or gears failed. The driveshaft could snap, but the symptom would be everything is good, and then no thrust. It wouldn't slip and then start working again.

Tech Support

OK...I'll check the plug, but am waiting for my Mech to check it...he did the install originally. darn thing had been running great since April...we shall see?

[sailingunc]

OK...I'll check the plug, but am waiting for my Mech to check it...he did the install originally. darn thing had been running great since April...we shall see?

Mech checked it out and determined that it was not spun prop, but something in the clutch paws? He got an authorization to return for repair, but cost $200 to ship...then waited over three weeks and still don't have it fixed or new unit??? I have lost prime boating time and valuable fishing tournament time? ...and if I have to pay shipping the repaired unit, I'm out over half of what I paid for it...plus mech time??? What's that all about???

[sailingunc]

OK...I'll check the plug, but am waiting for my Mech to check it...he did the install originally. darn thing had been running great since April...we shall see?

Mech checked it out and determined that it was not spun prop, but something in the clutch paws? He got an authorization to return for repair, but cost $200 to ship...then waited over three weeks and still don't have it fixed or new unit??? I have lost prime boating time and valuable fishing tournament time? ...and if I have to pay shipping the repaired unit, I'm out over half of what I paid for it...plus mech time??? What's that all about???