No forward or reverse!!

[play2win]

Took lower unit out last weekend to replace drive shaft seal, put it back together, and now boat does not engage into gear. Took lower off again, lined splines up again, still nothing. Cables are hooked up correctly. What could be causing this? gotta get out this weekend!! help!!!

[Burke Kilgour]

What exactly did you take apart to change the driveshaft seal? Did you change the shift shaft seal too?

[us1]

Did you get the shift rod plugged back on to the shift shaft and full inserted? Also is the shift shaft properly synchronized, as far as forward and reversed, with the shift rod.

[Burke Kilgour]

Yup, John knows exactly where I was going with my question. If you pulled out the shift shaft, the cam at the bottom might have fallen to the side........that's not good news, the whole thing would have to come apart to put it back on the cam follower.............. :( :(

[play2win]

What exactly did you take apart to change the driveshaft seal? Did you change the shift shaft seal too?

Maybe I used incorrect words, I changed the part and seals where the shift shaft goes into (there was lower unit fluid coming out of the vent hole - I think the o-ring was bad).

[play2win]

Did you get the shift rod plugged back on to the shift shaft and full inserted? Also is the shift shaft properly synchronized, as far as forward and reversed, with the shift rod.

What is the difference between the shift rod and shift shaft? Learning as I am going, have never done this before. Maybe I should get a book or something!

[j_martin]

Maybe I should get a book or something!

You got that one right.

[Hydrophobic guy]

Pull the lower again.
Turn the shift shaft manually turn and put in gear will know by turning prop to see drive shaft turn. :cool:
If it moves and doesn't put it into gear you lost the cam when you installed the seal.:mad:

[Fast Fred]

i've lined them up with a magnet.:cool:

[us1]

Pull the lower again.
Turn the shift shaft manually turn and put in gear will know by turning prop to see drive shaft turn. :cool:
If it moves and doesn't put it into gear you lost the cam when you installed the seal.:mad:

Thats what I would do next. A book is a great idea too. there is a lot of stuff to know to get the shifting working just right.

[play2win]

OK, I need a quick lesson - is the drive shaft the the big one, and the shift shaft the small one? (now I feel dumb, but I had to ask to make sure)If lower is out, I do not understand how you put into gear?

[play2win]

i've lined them up with a magnet.:cool:

the cam?

[play2win]

if the shaft goes in all the way, does that mean anything?

[Fast Fred]

big ones the drive the small one is the shift, yes, the cam. thinkin tryangle cam
in thare, gots a spline in it, the cam just sit on a shelf like, gots a slot in the shelf. the shift rod spline goes into cam spline, some times the cam can fall off the shelf, set it back in place with a magnet, then get the shift rod in it.:cool:

[Hydrophobic guy]

I would still turn the shaft with it off the motor and see if it go's into gear if it does cool if not quit your done.
Shift shaft is the small stubby one in the front of the lower the drive shaft is the big long one.
The shift shaft needs to be in neutral and the shifter also when installing. You need to watch very carefully with a flashlight through the gap between the lower and the mid when sliding it up that the shift shaft is sliding into the shift rod and not just pushing the shift rod up or that the shift rod isn't completely off to the side.
Usually I use a flat magnetic screw driver to bump the rod around to line up. Also don't forget to keep your water pump tube lined up. I put hi temp rtv on the top outside of the tube to keep it from falling down. BTW get a manual!!!

[play2win]

The shift shaft needs to be in neutral and the shifter also when installing. [/QUOTE]

Thanks hydro guy, the shifter is in neutral, but I dont understand how the shift shaft is supposed to be in netral. Should the shift rod turn, because it doesnt? The lower is out again, and I can spin that freely.

[play2win]

I would still turn the shaft with it off the motor and see if it go's into gear if it does cool if not quit your done.
Shift shaft is the small stubby one in the front of the lower the drive shaft is the big long one.
The shift shaft needs to be in neutral and the shifter also when installing. You need to watch very carefully with a flashlight through the gap between the lower and the mid when sliding it up that the shift shaft is sliding into the shift rod and not just pushing the shift rod up or that the shift rod isn't completely off to the side.
Usually I use a flat magnetic screw driver to bump the rod around to line up. Also don't forget to keep your water pump tube lined up. I put hi temp rtv on the top outside of the tube to keep it from falling down. BTW get a manual!!!

just to confirm, I actually did that last night, used a flashlight and lined it right up, along with water tube

[Hydrophobic guy]

The shift shaft needs to be in neutral and the shifter also when installing.

Thanks hydro guy, the shifter is in neutral, but I dont understand how the shift shaft is supposed to be in netral. Should the shift rod turn, because it doesnt? The lower is out again, and I can spin that freely.[/quote]

To clarify the shift shaft is the small one on the lower.
The shift rod is the one on the mid that connects to the contol cable.
The shift shaft needs to be placed in neutral. I usually use a pairs of pliers you'll know when you got it when the prop won't turn the drive shaft when you spin it. The shift rod should turn no problem with the lower off when you operated the controls. If you turn the prop does the drive shaft turn? What are you spinning freely? Was it the shift shaft seal you replaced? Can you turn the shift shaft by hand or do you need a pair of pliers? If it spins by hand you lost the clutch cam. If you want to try and fix it yourself you will definately need a manual to understand the way it should look and go together even then its an azz pain and very often can't be done.

[Fast Fred]

turn the shift shaft while the lower is out and see if she goes in to gear, forward and reverse, if thats good, then put it up.:cool:

[us1]

If you dont have the proper tool you will need to grab the shift shaft with some vice-grips down low, be very careful not to damage the splines. Rotate the drive shaft while turning the shift shaft a 1/4 turn. This should put it in gear.

[cocacola]

easy fix... as it happened to me once. When guiding the LU back on, you have to guide the shift rod on splined shift shaft too

[rock]

Correct me if I'm wrong but if he can't turn the shift shaft the cam must be in place. If the cam was out wouldn't the shift shaft turn very freely? BTW Get a book.
Rock

[play2win]

OK, first, I will get a book - doesnt that take the challenge away from fixing it yourself though ;) Anyway, I guess I am fu%$##, because the shift shaft spins freely. When I turn the drive shaft, the prop shaft does not move, and vice versa. What do I do next? Is this something I can do? Is there a some sort of specialist I need to take this to? Is there any way I can move around the lower to get the cam in place?

[Hydrophobic guy]

Send me an e-mail or a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send you the part
of the manual you need however still very difficult success rate is bleak.

[flabum1017]

Do yourself a favor before you damage the lower unit or pull anymore hair out, take it to a repair shop and let them handle this. The cam down inside the lower unit has dislodged and with all the tinkering and moving of the lower unit you have done, it is likely the cam is nowhere that you can retrieve it without taking the lower unit apart. They may be able to fix it in 5 minutes ot they may have to pull the bearing carrier out to reset it.

I'm not trying to push you away from doing repairs yourself, but sometimes people get lost easily even if it's a no-brainer to us pro's.

Next time you do a repair, just log on here and ask all the dumb questions you want before you start. The only dumb question is one that is not asked.


We are glad to help.

[us1]

Do yourself a favor before you damage the lower unit or pull anymore hair out, take it to a repair shop and let them handle this. The cam down inside the lower unit has dislodged and with all the tinkering and moving of the lower unit you have done, it is likely the cam is nowhere that you can retrieve it without taking the lower unit apart. They may be able to fix it in 5 minutes ot they may have to pull the bearing carrier out to reset it.

I'm not trying to push you away from doing repairs yourself, but sometimes people get lost easily even if it's a no-brainer to us pro's.

Next time you do a repair, just log on here and ask all the dumb questions you want before you start. The only dumb question is one that is not asked.


We are glad to help.


I have to agree with that. If the shift shaft spins freely the shift cam is loose some where inside the lower unit.

[play2win]

thanks for advice guys, my "never give in" attitude has gotten the best of me. I guess rebuilding my boat is quite different from rebuilding mechanical stuff!

[rock]

It's not much different and your never give in attitude is fine. The only problem here is you need a special tool to disassemble your gear case. Removing bearing carrier and propshaft is fairly easy as are many repairs. I wasn't trying to be smart when I said get a book. You obviously want to learn this stuff and a book will take you a long way. The many, many special tools a Merc requires will always be the main snag however. Mechanics is mechanics. You will find you can make a lot of the required tools yourself if you have the resources. Also find some used ones on this site. Don't give up.
Rock

[Burke Kilgour]

The manuals have lot's of "WARNING" information as you go along, and that's one of them ;)
Best to just ask here, like flabum said,
Good luck

[flabum1017]

I have been a mechanic for 25 years and I still have the book open when I am doing something. New guys will follow the book step by step, us experienced guys will use it for reference.

I work on everything from 9.9 outboards to 1,000 horsepower diesels which makes it not easy to remember everything......that's why the manual is out and open.

[Techno]

Just a thought but if he takes it in to get it fixed and it does require disassembly wouldn't it make sense to change other seals too?

If you see what I'm saying?
If its a jingle and a shake and its done then no, but if disassembly wouldn't this be a different animal altogether?

[Burke Kilgour]

One would "assume" that would be done if it were apart............ but I've "assumed" a lot of stuff before that wasn't the case........:rolleyes:
If that's a "salty" lower unit, this may be a can of worms opening up............