Suzuki 4hp problem

[freespirit3]

Need some help please, when I bought my recent boat it came with a Suzuki 4hp outboard, had a chance yesterday to have it running on the sea, (ps had a great day in the bay of Torbay and Teigmouth, very choppy sea though, redbay loved it) managed to get the engine started fine, but it would not allow me to select any gears, it seems that the little safety rod that goes down into the gearbox is stuck.

Looking at it when you lower the engine it should lock in a vertical postion and click and then the rod moves upwards i think allowing the gears to be selected.

I tried to move it but did not want to damage it, any ideas, is this spring loaded and is there anything I am doing stupid. Unfortunately I did not get a manual for the auxiliary engine.

Any ideas would be grateful, it's a 2002 Suzuki 4hp 4 stroke

[Locozodiac]

Squirt W-40 overdose on gear lever sliding/rotating parts, let soak, try again. If still stuck, remove lower tail to be sure problem is at lower tail rod area and not at upper lever area.

Happy Boating

[moore288]

I had the same problem on a mariner 5. Wd40 soaked in and some patience allowed me to ease it loose. Once it got the movement back it soon freed back up. Although it was initially jammed solid after loosening worked perfectly with no future issues . Hope yours fixes so easily!

[paddlers]

On certain small Mariner/Mercury models it's stated that they shouldn't be put into reverse gear unless running. I guess it must bend something !
I've no idea if this applies to your Suzy though but something sounds bent or jammed.
Good luck with it as it hopefully is an easy cheap fix for you but my advice is to avoid forcing it as they don't seem to respond well to being heavy handed.

[Locozodiac]

No engine should be shifted forward or reverse while being off, sometimes shifts properly, sometimes don't. It's not a malfunction, don't force it, could end breaking shift lever stupidly. But will happily shift F or R while engine is on...

Happy Boating