I messed up and need help ASAP

[fishn4cash]

Here's the deal, I pulled the lower unit on my mercury 250xs to replace the shift shaft seal, I put everything back together and go to the lake and now forward or reverse won't take hold. I figure I've probably pulled the shaft out of the bottom, if so is this easy to fix? Thanks for any info. Oh by the way it's a sportmaster gearcase

[Hottrucks]

check your shift shaft you may have missed it when you put it back up........hope it' that easy for yea....the shift shaft should have come uopt unless you pulled the whole thing to change the seal.........

[beer30]

I did the same thing!!!!!!!!:rolleyes: Just loosen the bolts on the lower unit, drop it down about a 1/2", see if it will shift then. I did the same thing, but instead of posting here, I called Helmut and that's what he told me to do.:thumbsup: Chuck

[WATERWINGS]

I never button mine up totally till I check for gear engagement.

Buttoned mine up one time, took it to the ramp, and, same thing..........no gears.............DOH !!

I use a small pair of needle nose vise grips and clamp them on the shift shaft tube to line it all up.

[YELLOWSS]

make sure the lu and the shifter are in "N" position.. some guys put them in drive too.. they have to be in the same position!!!! it easy to miss..... make sure you got the water tube too!!!!!!

[fishn4cash]

It's not good, It looks like I pulled the shift shaft out some when changeing the seal, anyway the shaft is turning freely now. I called a friend and he said that I might be able to take something and move it back around since I've evidently moved it and it's slid over. He said if I couldn't make it work he would take the unit apart tomorrow night. How long would it take the unit apart and re attach it, weare suppose to leave thursday morning tfor a 3 day fishing trip.

[Hottrucks]

he'll be done in half hour good luck

[fishn4cash]

Hey thanks for the info, that's good news

[fishn4cash]

How hard would it be just to pull the prop shaft myself and line up the shift shaft? I don't care to do it but would like some input before I do it, thanks for any info

[WATERWINGS]

Its not to hard, just remember to support the propshaft with a balled up rag or something like that.

Pull the bearing carrier, and leave the propshaft in place.

The shift cam rests on the very end of the propshaft, and must be in place to install the cam.

Wait, I just looked back and your 250 may have a different gearcase than my old 2.4 stuff,are the 250 cases a cam type shift?