Hurth transmission balky

[bernardski]

Tranny requires engine to be at idle before it wants to shift into gear. Once there it operates perfectly. Is this fixable by adjusting the linkage? Tranny was rebuilt about 5 years ago with very light use since.

[FrankLanger]

My owners manual says it SHOULD be at idle speed before putting it into gear; otherwise, it's not good for it. Why would having it at idle speed when putting it in gear be a problem, if everything else is working well?
Frank.

[bernardski]

Upon entering the slip, one cannot shift to reverse to slow progress. When I say idle, I mean absolute idle. If the engine is running at even 800 RPM, one must wait until it drops to 550 until it will shift. When reversing out of the slip in a tight waterway it is downright dangerous. The tranny is designed to be able to shift even at high revs to avoid collision. I just need it to shift reliably and dependably which it is not. Very scary now.

[Faster]

Our Hurth manual made the claim that the tranny would handle shifting from fwd to reverse at full revs if necessary in an emergency. Scary thought, but they say it can be done without damage.

I can't imagine that any of the limited adjustment available on the linkage would help your problem. It sounds like something internal that is preventing the shift plate from sliding.

The lever is easily removable, remove the 4 bolts on the side plate that holds it and then you can get at the shift plate inside. It is actuated by a cam on the end of the shift lever shaft. You might be able to see if something is impeding the motion of that plate. Unfortunately you won't be able to do this while the engine is running, but you might be able to see something that leads you to the problem.