ZF 220A Hard To Shift Out Of Forward

[John Fliegel]

At idle speed, I can shift easily between forward, reverse and neutral. After taking the boat out and running, my port transmission requires a fair amount of force to move from forward to neutral. After the initial popping feel when enough force is applied, the shifter moves easily into neutral. Once in neutral at idle speed, the transmission once again moves easily in and out of all positions. The oil level is good and the oil looks clear and clean like it just came out of the can. There are no other indications that there is something wrong with the transmission. Does anybody of any idea what I should be looking for to correct the problem?

Topic

[Rob Schepis]

Shift Valve Lever

Have you disconnected the cable at the tranny and verified it is not a lever/cable issue? Once confirmed it is not a lever/cable issue investigate the shift valve for marine age. Post some pictures of your engines/gear and specific pics of your gear shift lever. Here’s a link with info and pictorial:

ZF220A & ZF220V Shift Valve Lever Repair Kit

[Author]

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