help with diagnosis

PCM or Borg Warner? there 2 different animals and will help in diagnosing the problem, I would think that it has a 10-18-004 since it is a barefoot, currently how is the engagement in seconds, this will usually tell what the condition of the trans is in, it is close to impossible to get the water out of these trannys no matter how many times you flush them and also depends on how long the water sat inside, if you could be very specific about everything that is going on please list, information is key to diagnose if it is a trans problem

a slip is more of a smooth release and the rpms will rise rapidly, and it only takes a couple times at higher rpms to warp the plates from heat and lock the trans in forward which will make the trans loose nuetral when in nuetral, when the plates warp from heat you loose your forward clutch pack clearance and they will drag. I assume you checked the oil level? and did you smell and look at the color of the oil? these are other indicators of the condition of the trans. check all your keyways on the shaft and at the prop making sure that there is nothing loose and rotating under power.
from what you are describing does it completely come out of gear and does the tach spike to high rpms as it would from the problem your describing?

it possibly sounds like a broke forward belleville spring, its very hard to say. these tranny's either work or they dont, there are no in betweens, are you going to further test? do you have access to a pressure guage? from what your describing it does sound like something is broken (not worn) there is a difference. i have no problem if you want to call me, It is alot easier to talk a tranny problem, i talk to ten guys a day with tranny problems...its alot easier to figure out sometimes

Is it possible the engine is briefly cutting out ? making it feel like the trans is popping out .

Hey Waterlover I don't know if this is whats going on with your boat but last season I had a similar situation.

I was just getting a skier underway and struck a submeraged (sinker) log, I immediately cut the throtle back and tried to assess the damage. Without being able to get under the boat and being in the river I could not see what might be going on so I did a series of holeshots, turning at speed etc. At inital engagement of the tranny and at speeds below or above 30mph it all seemed fine. What was happening was at approximately 30mph the prop would cavitate sounding as though the prop or tranny was slipping. I took the boat out of the water and discovered that the front tracking fin was bent at a right angle altering the waterflow over the hull and causing the cavitation. The repair at $90 was a relief and we are good to go.

Hope your situation is as painless as mine.

BIGCITY

    Hmmm,Now that the guys above mentioned it...I was doing something I probably shouldn't have been doing with my bro-in-laws Mastercraft last year and it cavitated.Kind of felt just like hitting something in the water.Scared the sh*t out of me.


    Mike

now I know why when I tear into some trannys that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. lol   a mans gotta make a living,
as i said its hard to diagnose a trans problem, if a problem at all, with the descriptions of the symptoms sometimes

I agree but if my zx14 was making a noise around 185 mph only in turn two at Daytona would you ride along to figure it out?