Im thinking this is what is wrong with my 1990 evinrude 90hp motor. a couple of outings ago during a tourney my motor started kicking when i would put it in forward gear. it would kick but it would get going and to full plane when all of a sudden it just stopped and turned off. i thought what the hell happened. but really didn't pay no mind since i was almost at the boat ramp i just trolled fished and then started the motor back up and drove it on to the trailer. The last couple of outings the motor kicked a lot harder bout would still get up and go full plane without shutting off. this morning when i went fishing i got the motor started and went full plane with no kicking at all fished a little bit and turned the motor back on to head to the next spot. when i put it in gear this time the motor would just sound like i was revving it in neutral. i finally got it to drive forward. we got it on the trailer and out of the water and looked at the prop. we put it into gear (with the motor off) and we could spin the prop both ways while in drive. the problem is only when its in "forward" nothing is wrong with the reverse cause when you put it in reverse it doesn't kick or feel like its slipping it goes strait back with no problems and when out of the water with motor off and in reverse the prop spins both ways but catches like its suppose to. can someone tell me if i need a new lower unit?..this is my first boat and I'm PCS'ing to Korea in a month I'm really trying to get this done at the lowest cost cause i need to sell it before i leave to korea.

Need to first check the shift cable to make shure it has`nt moved on the adjustment nut, front, under the cowling. Have been fooled by an out of adjustment lower before.

This is my first boat so I have no clue what or how to do it do you know how much price wise I'm looking at? To check those cables?..

check and see if theres water in the lower unit, that can cause intermittent shifting. the shift dog may be binding.
Also a motor that is losing spark, will feel like its " kicking" in the lower unit, because the sudden dying of the motor and restart, really makes the boat lurch, so it may be a kill wire grounding to the block, or a powerpack going out, or an electrical problem. thats what it sounds like to me, your motor is intermittantly dying out.

Where are you located at? If your cluse by the house I can take a look. Have a buddy move it in and out of hear while you look at your motor and look for the shift linkage moving, there should be a adjustment to slightly adjust you linkage. Also the nut may have came loose that holds the linkage in place.

I'm located right outside of San Antonio in Selma. Where are you located?..

Shift cable didn't move adjustment nut. Even in WOT with motor off it would not catch l, would spin and it would catch but then quickly spin freely. Both I'm forward and reverse it would spin both ways.

did you check for water in the lower unit?