What happens when we shift out of neutral?

**SDP** · 11-17-2017, 07:47 PM

Hello,
I'm troubleshooting a 1993 150hp Evinrude Intruder Spitfire, VE150GLETG.
It stalls out when put into gear.
What happens in an outboard V6 engine when we shift from idle to forward or reverse?
I know that's kind of a vague or overly general question, but I'm wondering. Aside from engaging the transmission, what is occurring in forward that wasn't occurring in neutral? A demand for more air and fuel? A change in exhaust needs?
Thanks.

**johnboy 88 vegas** · 11-17-2017, 09:34 PM

Shift interrupter switch may be bad...unplug it and see what happens.

**SDP** · 11-17-2017, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by johnboy 88 vegas

Shift interrupter switch may be bad...unplug it and see what happens.

Shoot, I don't know where that is, and it's not typically called that on exploded diagrams and parts lists.

**johnboy 88 vegas** · 11-17-2017, 10:12 PM

Take the cowling off and look in the bottom of the pan on the starboard side where the shift cable connects to the motor. In that area there will be a "switch" with two wires on it...black with a red or yellow tracer I think. Disconnect it and see what happens. There are a number of things that will cause this but you start with the simple things first.

**SDP** · 11-17-2017, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by johnboy 88 vegas

Take the cowling off and look in the bottom of the pan on the starboard side where the shift cable connects to the motor. In that area there will be a "switch" with two wires on it...black with a red or yellow tracer I think. Disconnect it and see what happens. There are a number of things that will cause this but you start with the simple things first.

Thanks man. I know I asked a really vague question, and I appreciate your very specific response.
I looked at the carbs, and aside from that one of six not having a gasket, they were clean. Really clean.

**phillnjack** · 11-18-2017, 11:19 AM

also when you put it on gear the engine is now inder load and if not so strong anymore can stall out.
seen so many great motors on a stand with engine muffs turn out to be needing rebuild when actually put in water and tried .

or could be a case of your idle is too low !!! dont know what idle rpm is for that motor , but if its running low on idle in neutral that will cause a stall when
you shift into gear..

**Robby321** · 11-18-2017, 04:44 PM

Yep...crank the idle up

**Dave S** · 11-18-2017, 05:54 PM

28 pitch prop foollyingagede not surfacing.....

**SDP** · 11-20-2017, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by johnboy 88 vegas

Take the cowling off and look in the bottom of the pan on the starboard side where the shift cable connects to the motor. In that area there will be a "switch" with two wires on it...black with a red or yellow tracer I think. Disconnect it and see what happens. There are a number of things that will cause this but you start with the simple things first.

Johnboy - I disconnected the switch and it did not seem to have any effect on anything.
I just idled the engine on the muffs for a couple minutes, with the air cover off. I only saw 1 carburetor was getting fuel - top, starboard - out of 6. Seemed like a lot of unspent fuel was spilling out of it too. No idea what's going on yet, but maybe this sheds some light on it.
Thanks much for any suggestions.

**SS Minnow** · 11-21-2017, 08:37 AM

A lot of fuel coming back out the carb at idle is a bad sign, assuming no one has messed with carb jetting.
Compression test done? What are the #'s?
Leakdown? Results?
That is where I would start.

**j_martin** · 11-21-2017, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by SDP

Thanks man. I know I asked a really vague question, and I appreciate your very specific response.
I looked at the carbs, and aside from that one of six not having a gasket, they were clean. Really clean.

How purdy a carb is on the outside has absolutely nothing to do with what's on the inside. Fuel spilling out of a carb usually means a sunk float, or crap in the inlet (float) valve. Loose parts (jets, valve seats) and on come carbs leaking internal gaskets can flood em also.

Long story short, your engine is stumbling from poor tune/condition, and falls flat when loaded. There's only one carb rebuild that will work worth a dang, and that one is "perfect". You can't be too fussy, including formally torquing the screws.

**SDP** · 11-22-2017, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by j_martin

How purdy a carb is on the outside has absolutely nothing to do with what's on the inside. Fuel spilling out of a carb usually means a sunk float, or crap in the inlet (float) valve. Loose parts (jets, valve seats) and on come carbs leaking internal gaskets can flood em also.

Long story short, your engine is stumbling from poor tune/condition, and falls flat when loaded. There's only one carb rebuild that will work worth a dang, and that one is "perfect". You can't be too fussy, including formally torquing the screws.

After removing the carbs, I could see the tiny orifices in the throttle body were almost all clogged with white-ish gunk. I think these are the idle circuit "jets."
I sprayed them all liberally with carb cleaner and reassembled. The top starboard carb no longer percolates fuel from the bowl, which could either be because I loosened a stuck float, or because unclogging those orifices allowed fuel to spray where it should, and not just bypass those jets and let fuel pressure be relieved wherever it could find a path. I think. Who knows.
After the carb cleaner into the throttle body, the engine now idles at 1,200 rpms on the muffs. That seems a little high. Before the carb cleaner, it idled at about 800 rpms (on the muffs.)
I'm hoping to back it into the lake later this afternoon to see what it does with real back pressure.

**SDP** · 11-22-2017, 05:45 PM

I just backed the boat into a nearby launch, and it did still idle a little higher, after the carb cleaner spray, once warmed up (@ about 11rpms). But, it did not die or even hesitate when I shifted into forward, so that was nice.
I'm feeling confident that rebuild kits, new (unwarped) bowls, and a proper cleaning of the system will have it running much better next spring.
Got one more day of walleye fishing coming this Friday.

**Robby321** · 11-22-2017, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by SDP

I just backed the boat into a nearby launch, and it did still idle a little higher, after the carb cleaner spray, once warmed up (@ about 11rpms). But, it did not die or even hesitate when I shifted into forward, so that was nice.
I'm feeling confident that rebuild kits, new (unwarped) bowls, and a proper cleaning of the system will have it running much better next spring.
Got one more day of walleye fishing coming this Friday.

Problem solved. Idle at 1100/1200 ok. Don't trust the tach to much. Sound motor more important. High revving? No good. Just do not slow shift it. One of my boats is high idle, as sometimes a bitch getting into the slip with tides running. Stalling sucks. Now fine tune the idle a bit and find the sweet spot.
Old Midwest boy myself..go fishing!

**SDP** · 11-22-2017, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Robby321

Problem solved. Idle at 1100/1200 ok. Don't trust the tach to much. Sound motor more important. High revving? No good. Just do not slow shift it. One of my boats is high idle, as sometimes a bitch getting into the slip with tides running. Stalling sucks. Now fine tune the idle a bit and find the sweet spot.
Old Midwest boy myself..go fishing!

The new, higher idle, after getting those tiny orifices cleared in the throttle body, does not audibly sound too high to me. But it's about 300 or 400 rpms higher than it was when those orifices were clogged, so it raised an eyebrow.
It's been pretty cold here lately, 20 miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But Friday is supposed to be 56 degrees, so I'll need to go to the Wolf River for some fishing. I just acquired this boat in October, and haven't had much of a chance to fish from it yet. (it's a 1993 Champion 176 Fish&Ski.)