Frustrating shift linkage issue. Evinrude 50 HP SPL

[pchittenden]

Hello,

First time posting a thread here and if it's redundant, I apologize in advance. I have a 1997 50 HP Evinrude SPL on a pontoon boat. Looks like the impeller is out. We removed all of the lower unit bolts and the unit dropped about 1/2 an inch. For the love of God or money, I cannot find where precisely to disconnect the shift linkage to fully release the lower unit. I have read about a hundred forums and they all vary just slightly enough to be frustrating. If I need to just buy the factory manual for this motor, I'm happy to do so...just looking for a simple answer to something I might be overlooking. I am happy to post a picture of this motor's configuration if it will help. Thanks again-BC

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Frustrating shift linkage issue. Evinrude 50 HP SPL

The answer is very simple. The solution is not. The upper end of the shift rod is located under the bottom carburetor and it is held to the shifter with a bolt. There are several ways to get the bolt out but the easiest is to simply remove the lower side covers on the engine. If you don't want to do that you need a small socket set with a universal joint to get to the bolt. Failing that you can remove the air box and the lower carb but then you run the risk of screwing up the link&sync process. So take your pick. It can be done without removing anything. But you need to be creative.

 

[pchittenden]

Re: Frustrating shift linkage issue. Evinrude 50 HP SPL

The answer is very simple. The solution is not. The upper end of the shift rod is located under the bottom carburetor and it is held to the shifter with a bolt. There are several ways to get the bolt out but the easiest is to simply remove the lower side covers on the engine. If you don't want to do that you need a small socket set with a universal joint to get to the bolt. Failing that you can remove the air box and the lower carb but then you run the risk of screwing up the link&sync process. So take your pick. It can be done without removing anything. But you need to be creative.

I want to apologize for this late reply as well thank you immensely for your advice. Because of your post, I located the shift linkage retainer bolt quickly and was able to complete this repair. The only deviation was that I found it much easier to get to the bolt by removing the starter. This prevented the need to remove the air box or carb. Problem solved and thank you again.