Trans still ’slightly’ engaged in neutral

Others will be able to more fully respond, but I see the same thing happening with my 69 SN. I think it is a characteristic of the BW Transmission. Yours does seem to be more engaged than mine, I've not noticed a need to "really grab the dock."
This serves as a good reminder too, that when people are getting in and out of our boats from the water the engine should be off.

Hi and thx for the replies.

The trans is definitely in neutral. The stuffing box could be tightened up a bit, it's leaking more than it should so i'll try that route in the spring.

My PCM tranny does the same thing. There is almost no power. If I carefully grip the drive shaft with my hand, it easily stops.

The local CC dealer said it is a common problem. It indicates that the clutch plates are starting to stick and the tranny will eventually need a clutch pack. He said that when there is enough power to drive the boat, its time to do the repair. It sounds like you may be getting close.

Speaking of fluid level, on the old BW, should you screw in the little dip stick or just place it in the hole? It would make a big difference on the total amount.

hmmmm....

Mackwrench: I believe your advice needs a bit of clarification...see below.

Warner transmissions:
Oil level should be checked immediately after stopping warm engine. The dipstick assembly need NOT be tightened into the case to determine oil level. Merely insert into case until cap or plug rests on surface surrounding oil filler hole. Checking level cold gives false readings. No provision made for checking cold oil level. After checking level when hot and ensuring full then you can add a mark on the dipstick when the transmission is cold and use this for checking the cold fluid level in the future.

PCM transmissions:
Checking when hot: Same procedure as Warner transmissions.
Checking when cold: Insert the dipstick into the transmission opening and let the dipstick rest BY ITS OWN WEIGHT on the first o-ring. Do NOT push the dipstick into the opening.

Another reason for forward motion...and this is from personal experience. I rebuilt my tranny after my first run in my 79, six years ago. The reason it had to be rebuilt is, the clutch plates were warped from overheating (water in the fluid)which causes the tranny to be engaged in "forward" even in neutral and reverse. Anyway, when you rebuild with new clutch plates, there needs to be a certain amount of clearance between them. Using the correct "thickness" of snap ring determines that correct amount of clearance. If you use too thick of a snap ring, you won't have enough clearance and you will always have some forward rotation of the shaft. In my opinion, it's the trickiest part of rebuilding these trannys!