Hey guys, new to me motor, havnt gotten it in the water yet.

Hooked the shift and throttle up and shifting is tight. When cables are off the motor its smooth. However i cant shift the linkage by hand, at least not without some major effort. I notice if i turn the prop if will pop into gear. Which leads me to think while running i might not have a problem?

Is it normal to not be able to shift these by hand?