15 hp shifting difficulty
 

Howdy everyone, new to forum and boating hoping to get some advice here since most of the shops near me are 4 to 6 weeks out before they can even take a look at my outboard.
Sometimes unable to get my 2018 15hp to go into either forward or reverse gear ,checked the gear oil for contamination and possible fragments of broken gears. None found ,if placed in gear with engine not running locks both gears in place. The engine case seems to move a lot when trying to engage either gear. I noticed the shifter handle was loose and flapping around, I added a washer to the bolt holding it in place . That took the play out but it still is not dropping into gear like it should. I admit to having limited experience with marine engines but I will listen to anything you know about this issue . Thanks for reading my long post, hope someone can help.