last year at the end of the season my port motor started shifting hard first just in forward and then progressively worse both in forward and reverse, over say a couple months i was sure that i was having a problem with the clutch but today the shop called to say good news that water had leaked into the upper part of the drive and coroded the shift cable and mechanizm. my question is it possible for water to enter around the shift cable area and not get into drives?

thanks in advance

later

Usually you don't get water in the drive unless its been happening for a couple of seasons. The shift shaft seal rubber would delaminate from the seal case or pit the shift shaft.