Hey Guys, Just bought a new to me Skeeter zx225 with a Yamaha 225 2 stroke, it's got a new powerhead with only 100 hrs and a new lower unit was installed about a year and a half ago.

At the lake Saturday, I get it off the trailer in reverse, pop it back into forward, pick up my buddy at the dock, and go to put it back in reverse and it just makes a grinding sound, will not engage, runs fine in forward, drove all over the lake, never tried reverse again until I got it home. With the engine off and the cowling off i shifted into reverse and then ( I think) I was able to further engage reverse by manually pushing it..

Do I have a linkage issue? or is my lower trashed? anyone around the Mckinney area that could look at it this week?

Thanks!!

Sounds like a linkage issue

Yeah, check the linkage or also possible that it’s idling too high.

Look very close to where the shift lever shaft goes through the bottom cowl. I've had a bolt vibrate loose and stop the shaft from moving all the way in gear. You can also take the cable loose under the cowl and try to shift it manually.

Look for this before going into panic mode!

Yes sir, a high idle caused my brother laws yami to grind.