Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

[maineiac5586]

So, I picked up this motor today and the only thing I can see troubling so far is the shifter seems to need a lot of pressure to move into forward and reverse. It will go into gear but I have to use what feels like too much pressure. I lubed the shifter where it pivots on the side of the motor but it is still hard to move. Any ideas as to what I may need to do? I see a clamp with a screw on it that looks like it holds the shifter handle on. I was going to take this off, will this allow me to free up anything? Will anything fall off into the exhaust housing I pull the shifter lever off? Also there is a black hook type piece that a roller makes contact with near the shifter lever. It looks bent, should this be straight? It is not making the shifter force hard because I can hold it away from the shift lever so as it does not make contact with the shift lever and it is still too hard to shift. Thanks for help getting this beauty going. see pictures below for details, thanks (just wanted to add, i turned the flywheel slightly when applying force to the shifter to make sure it wasn't hung up on a shifting dog, as I know some people have broken the shift lever or worse this way)

 

[JDusza]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

I do not know this engine that well, but, does it make sense to split the lower unit and shift rod and see if that frees anything up?

 

[maineiac5586]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

i am not sure I have to go through that much, seems like there may be a simpler fix, on a side note when I try to inject grease through the fitting on the shift lever I can't seem to get any to go in

 

[JDusza]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

Try to unscrew the grease fitting and see if grease will flush through it or if the tip is stuck closed. Maybe pick at the tip a little with a screwdriver.

Then, with the cover off the engine, follow the shifting rods and levers looking for binding from fuel lines or ignition lines.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

There is a shift rod lever inside of the exhaust housing that the shift lever and shaft assembly attaches to. The only way to get to it, is to pull the power head. The shaft assembly is what is lubricated via the zerk fitting that you have already found.

By the looks of the rust on the bottom of the shifter lock, the motor was not serviced at proper intervals, particularly in regard to lubrication. When this is the case, one of the common problems to occur, is for the passage inside of the shaft assembly to plug with dried grease. When that happens, the grease doesn't reach the inside of the hole in the exhaust housing, through which the shaft passes. Basically, it just squirts out externally.

You may be able to loosen the shift assembly up by patiently working it back and forth, with repeated attempts to get some grease in it, but often times, you just have to pull the powerhead, remove the shift rod lever and pull the shaft out. This may be difficult to do, because one of the things that happens when the motor is not lubricated properly in this area, is that the aluminum in the passage exfoliates (corrodes and expands). That is part of what makes the shifter hard to move. If you find this to be the case after taking the shift shaft out, put some emory cloth around a dowel and clean the exfoliation out, before reassembling. You may find some corrosion on the steel shift shaft too.

At this point, I would not get into the gearcase, I don't think that is where your problem is. If you feel a need to confirm this, you can simply drop the gearcase from the midsection and actuate the stub of the shift rod that comes out of the top if it. My guess is that you will find it to be free. Whatever you do, do not remove the philipshead screw in the side of the gearcase! It acts as a pivot pin for a cradle that moves the clutch dog (inside of the gearcase) and if you pull it out, the cradle may move and require opening up the gearcase to get the pin back in.

I also advise caution with the bolt next to the shifter lock. Chances are that it is going to be hard to get out, without breaking the head off. You may want to consider removing the hood and setting the motor on the flywheel, upside down. From there, a few days of soaking that bolt with penetrating oil might help.

Good luck with us and keep us posted.

 

[F_R]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

What jay just said makes sense. But let's back up a bit. Is it really hard to shift, or are you just concerned about the snap shift detent that must be overcome before it will move?

Can you get any free wiggle at all at the shift lever? If not, you probably will have to pull the powerhead and clean the hole that the shifter shaft goes through. I suspect that is the case anyway, because you said you can't get any grease to go through the zerk.

 

[maineiac5586]

Re: Shifter question 1979 evinrude 25hp

ok, so I took the zerk fitting out and tried to clean in the hole behind the zerk fitting. I got some gunk out, I put the zerk back in and worked the shifter back and forth and it is a lot better (after pumping a few squirts of grease in ) It is strange, the grease I think is going in but there is a lot of resistance on the grease gun handle. Anyway, it goes into forward and recerse now with much less force, still seems a little stiff though.