How to repair a stiff/jammed Reverse lever on Virage, MSX, Genesis with reverse lever

[K447]

... Looks like one of my msx's is the same as the one in your picture.

Mine is a 2004 model. Check your HIN number for the model year - last two digits.

[beerdart]

Yamaha or Sea-Doo part numbers for the paddle wheel?

Actually, do you know if the whole Polaris speed sensor assembly will interchange with a Yamaha or Sea-Doo part, other than the connector/cable into the hull?

The mounting is different for the three Seadoo also incorporates Lake Temp in the sender.

Yamaha # for the wheel only. GJ1-U835D-00-00 .SERVIS KIT (SPEED SENSOR) $25.31

Seadoo does not sell the wheel separate.

[DQ1]

New member here and an owner of two 2003 MSX 140's.

Some way, some how, I lost that spring (16). Can I pick this up at a local hardware store?

I have purchased a spare spring but the other one is missing also so I am short one.

Also, after looking over the machines I noticed that the paddle wheel, on one of the machines, is missing. Any advice on where I could find one?

By the way I love this site and the info.

Thanks,

Matt

Matt I have 2 Virage i's.... new member as well. These guys are awesome. I was doing the same "fix" on mine and I made sure I kept an eye on that spring.... still went for a ride. Just stuck a magnet under the fuel tank and hit gold. I found it to be much much easier with the oil tank removed.

I am far from an expert on this but after taking mine apart twice and seeing how there is no margin for error, binding, mis adjustment I would want to put a factory spring in there. I suspect those cams are machined and calibated based on many factors one of those being the tension and size of that spring.

[DQ1]

Well, my own Virage TXi reverse level was binding and getting hard to operate, so I had a look at how it works.

Per the attached photos, you do not need to remove the entire mechanism from the hull to fix it.


Pry the plastic cap (1) from the outside of the reverse handle (33). Use a 10mm driver to unscrew the long bolt (2) inside the hollow handle. Remove the handle.

Under the hood, remove the cotter pin (25) and washer (18 ) connecting the reverse arm (26) to the reverse cable (34). Slide the cable out of the hole on the reverse arm.
Note: This step is not entirely necessary, but it is how I got mine apart.

Remove the Philips head screw (19) holding the Reverse Lock (17).

Remove the 10mm bolt (15) holding the metal bracket to the center of the large reverse arm. Don't lose the washer underneath (14).

Note: There is a captive nut on the back side (13).
Don't push too hard on the bolt while unscrewing it, or the nut will push out into the hull and go hide somewhere.

Gently bend the metal bracket (20) away from the reverse arm, enough to allow the reverse lock (17) to be removed.

Alternate method; If you don't want to bend the metal arm, remove the hidden 10mm nut from the rear support stud (30). This will allow the metal bracket to be removed. Don't drop the nut or washer

Slide the plastic reverse lock pawl (17) and spring out from under the metal bracket (20). Don't lose the spring (16) that is inside.

Now you can use the 10mm driver to gently tap on the end of the cam shaft (12). Mine was quite snug. Tap the cam shaft all the way through. The pinion (9) will come with it.

In my case, the problem was that the nylon plastic cam shaft diameter seems to have expanded (or the pinion gear hole shrank), enough that the pinion no longer freely rotates on the cam shaft.

This causes the reverse gear arm to remain locked when you try to move the lever, and it feels like it has jammed. Fight with it enough, and the lock suddenly releases and works, or you break things

I had to use a hammer and drift to tap the pinion off the cam shaft, and it was tight all the way. Time to do some fine sanding...

Apply sandpaper to the shaft until the pinion slides smoothly on and off the shaft. Also make sure the shaft now slides freely into the hole where it goes when re-assembled.

The pinion (9) needs to freely rotate on the cam shaft (12) (next two photos).

Apply waterproof grease to all contacting and sliding parts, shafts and gear teeth as you reassemble.

I see that Babbitts shows the cam shaft part# 5433955 being SUBSTITUTED BY 2202170 ($18US), also the pinion part# 5434067 also SUBSTITUTED BY 2202170
Sounds like an updated version, perhaps because of the binding shaft issue

This video shows the pinion and cam action, without the locking pawl present.
Note the motion of the cam before the pins move the pinon gear.
YouTube - Polaris Virage/Genesis/MSX reverse handle mechanism motion 2

Here you can see the reverse sensing switch and Forward/Neutral/Reverse detent pin
YouTube - Polaris Virage/Genesis/MSX reverse handle mechanism motion 2

When it is working properly, the reverse mechanism looks like this.
Note how the cam motion releases the locking pawl before the four pins start moving the actual gear. This is how the system allows the operator to move the reverse bucket usign the handle, but jet pump force cannot move the bucket if the locking pawl is in position.
YouTube - Polaris Virage/Genesis/MSX reverse handle mechanism motion 3

And finally, mounted in the hull.
All moving parts have been greased.
It really is about a two finger amount of force to move the reverse lever when everything is working properly.
YouTube - Polaris Virage/Genesis/MSX reverse handle mechanism motion 4

Great info here same thing with my 2002 Virage i. In addition mine also has I nice little bend in the reverse cable right by the gate. Even with the cable bent there is no binding because the bend does not extend into the telescoping part of the cable. I am certian that it is throwing off the adjustment.

Took apart the gear mechanism because it was binding as well. Found #12 was stuck and binding inside #8 the housing needed a drift to work it out some sanding and marine lube it was good to go. Got it all back together and once assembled it would move freely until it got to Forward and the cam#9 would not release once locked in. If you moved it around eventually it would come loose.

Took it apart again and this time I removed the whole housing so I could get my head around the way this mechanism worked. Also found that #9 was siezed on #12 and just that binding would cause the whole operation to fail. Honed #9 and some sanding and marine lube on that as well. Now it works on with minimal effort.

As K447 previous posts on this I am dying to know if #12 expanded or #9 shrank.

Also removed the reverse cable and straightened it. 1 Before pic and 2 after pics

$20.00 worth of marine lube (with plenty of left over)
$13.00 worth of 3M 5200 series thru hull sealant
Should be like new

[MPDano]

Nice writeup but I still can't seem to find how to actually operate my Lever. Push, pull, need advice in order to troubleshoot.

[ghostinstallations]

Nice writeup but I still can't seem to find how to actually operate my Lever. Push, pull, need advice in order to troubleshoot.

Follow the write up, then your lever will operate. It is just stuck.

[MPDano]

Will do this weekend.

[martincom]

I was doing the fuel pressure regulator "fix" and the oil tank "fix" and had plan to do this "fix" on a pair of Virage Is acquired last summer. Both of the reverse lever units were damaged from sticky/seizure and being forced. The pivot pin, for the "Arm, Reverse Lock" 17 molded into the main "Plate, Base" 8 had been snapped off from the reverse selector lever being forced:



To repair this damage in lieu of replacing the main "Plate, Base" 8 ($45.00); I drilled out the broke off pivot pin and the "Plate, Base" to 11/64". From the outside of the "Plate, Base", I drove in a 8-32 stainless steel nylock nut:



The top of the broke off pin had been "mushroomed" from being over tightened. The "Arm, Reverse Lock" 17 must pivot freely without binding on this pin. So I left then pin on the 11/64" drill bit ran it over a file to remove the "mushroomed" material:



I transferred the stainless steel "Washer, Flat"18 to a 8-32 x 1-1/4" stainless steel machine screw. I reassembled the "Arm, Reverse Lock",the broke of pin, on to "Plate, Base" 8 securing with 8-32 machine screw. I did align the pin into "Plate, Base" so the broke off section would mate by turning with a needle nose pliers prior to inserting the machine screw. The machine screw was just snugged and not over tighten, to prevent "mushrooming" the end of the pin and creating drag or binding of the movement of the "Reverse, Lock Arm" 17 on the pin. I verified free movement once assembled.



A few points of clarification:

1. The "Pinion" 9 must turn freely when seated on "Shaft, Cam" 12. Granted, this movement is very little as the pinion is indexed into the cam by the four pins. However, you'll note the four mating holes in the cam are oblonged. See photo below. This is by design. When the lever is activated, by nature of the oblong holes, the cam begins to rotate before the pinion, releasing the "Reverse, Lock Arm" 17 from the "Arm, Reverse" 26 before it begins to rotate. If this locks fails to release due to pinion being seized or stuck to the "Shaft, Cam" and the selector level is forced, the pivot pin is broke off, as set forth above.

I utilized emery cloth strips to reduce the diameter of the shaft portion of "Shaft, Cam" 12. I also utilized a letter size drill bit to ream the pivot hole of "Reverse, Lock Arm" 17 so it would pivot freely.


2. The components have index marks on them to aide in re-assembly positioning: