Over the last few days, after using hefty RPM to get off a shoal, the engine stalled after I had engaged reverse to pick up a mooring. I could not move the gear lever.
I found I could not turn the engine (original MD7a) through the 2:1 reduction with the compression lifter up.
Out of gear, eventually, I found the output shaft impossible to turn (at the gearbox end).
With the boat beached, the shaft exhibited no signs of problems, despite recent rope-around-the-prop. scenario.
Nevertheless out of gear the shaft still hard to turn by hand at the propeller boss; this is possible only with the blades extended. Oiling the cutlass bearing radically improved the position, but did it harm the neoprene? I assume there would be no change were the gear-lever to have been locked, as above.
The gearbox is full of oil and the linkage to it is now freshly lubricated,
The cutlass bearing was renewed in recent history, and the "P" bracket connection to the hull was re-built with a reinforcing blade of stainless to which the journal was attached.
No cosmetic fairing was done then to the new blade to match the journal profile, in the interest of easing access for future maintenance.
There were no adverse symptoms at the launch earlier in the year.
