I have twin TRS 485 drives, and today as I was coming onto plane one of them felt like a prop blowout so I backed off, and I tried easing into it again, but the drive would not engage, and there was smoke coming from my bilge. I shut it down, and took it home. I was able to flush the engine, but the prop was spinning in forward even though the shifter was in neutral. When I tried to put it in reverse, the motor died. I also can't find neutral. While the engine is off, the drive is locked, and will not turn.

I thought maybe the drive locked up, and fried the coupler, but I am not sure.

Any thoughts or ideas? This is only the second time that I have had the boat out since I bought it. Very frustrating.

WOW, you bought that boat from ohio............... It sounds like the transmission.
1. check the gearlube for metal. you could also pull the top cap and inspect the upper gear set.
2. pull the drive since it will need to come off.
3. decide wether its a drive problem from the results from steps 1 & 2
4. If drive is ok, then get ready to pull the engine
5. disconnect transmission and send it too bam

When a transmission slips it can when the clutches together. That would explain why its spinning prop while flushing. Check your trans fluid . A TRS drive does not have a coupler. Check your drive fluid too. It sounds like trannie failed. Good Luck
Jim

Depending on what style prop you have, if it has the pressed in rubber, make sure to check that out. If its a solid hub....................... then its probably the transmission
Jr.

Thanks for the replies guys. My friend riding with me said that it smelled like a slipping clutch.

Still sounds like trannie, check fluid.
Jim

I agree but, still need to rule out the prop if it has a rubber hub (spun out) before ya pull the drive and yank the moter out...........

Perhaps you may already know this, but depending on the year of the boat, many of those TRS drive set-ups had the old and out dated "TRS Tranny"....which I was told is a tranny that was built by Ford for MerCruiser back in the 70's up to about 1981-82 or so. It is good to only about 550-600hp. I think it was about 1982-83 that Merc began using/installing the Borge Warner style tranny. If it IS the tranny giving you promblems and you have the old "TRS Tranny" you may have a difficult time finging parts for it.

I believe it was called the Merc Trans, not a TRS.

I have merctrans parts. pm me.