help please! cannot get shift rod hooked back up.

bucket235

Cadet
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
22
changed the water pump on my 81 235 today. i cannot for the life of me get the shift rod aligned with the screw that goes through the hole on the rod. the screw keeps turning the rod to the wrong angle. the curve of the rod points toward the front of the motor, correct? any tips? i have spent three hours trying to get this thing back together and the family wants to go out tomorrow.:mad:
 

SparkieBoat

Captain
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
3,643
Re: help please! cannot get shift rod hooked back up.

you need to make sure your shift rod is the correct height, I think that is posted in the secret files section. you should be able to get it to slip into the block by getting someone to wiggle the shifter while you use a long screw driver or long needle nose pliers to get it to line up. Its not that hard to do. long needle nose plier are my trick, they sell them cheap at harbor freight tools.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: help please! cannot get shift rod hooked back up.

Don't know if your motor is the same as mine but on mine there is a break in the case just above the lower on the front that you can get a pair of needle nose vise grips on the shift rod and turn it how you need to.
 
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