alpa one

Question
I have a 1987 3.7 mercruiser alpha one. wont go into forward or reverse.( occasionally will go into gear but has a hard time disengaging) no stiffness in shifting. I can see the linkages moving on the port side of engine. Pulled off the cable that goes to the stern drive and tried to shift manually and spin the propeller. I coulldn't get the propeller to engage. While running if i go into forward or reverse a lot it makes a loud "clicking" noise. like it is trying to engage but not quite there.

Answer
Hi Dan...thank you for selecting the undersigned to reply to your question.

Sounds like you may have a clutch problem in the lower unit. Best you consult a local but qualified and reliable MerCruiser marine mechanic to trouble-shoot the difficulty. In the long run, it will likely cost you less, rather than attempting to resolve the matter on your own through trials and tribulations and not solving all of the associated problems. Your choice. I really don't think its a linkage difficulty or a shift cable problem, but you never know.

Safe Boating
Ron