2003 Mercury 25hp gear selector linkage popping off

[billycalexander]

I bought this motor with a boat and the guy who sold it to me said he had been told that the previous owner replaced the linkage shown in the you tube video(the one that pops off at the very end of the video) but that it must have been the wrong linkage as it kept popping off. I have just loosened the jam nut and tightened the plastic part of the linkage as tight as it will go and for now that seems to have fixed the problem. Just not sure why it would have to be tightened all the way down to make the linkage as short as possible to work correctly. I'm wondering if I have something adjusted wrong on the main cables connecting to the gear selector mechanism or some other linkage problem/adjustment problem.

Billy Alexander

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcmhYZl_SV8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIov5k8SOIk

 

[billycalexander]

Re: 2003 Mercury 25hp gear selector linkage popping off

I think I've figured out my problem. I now remember when I bought the boat, the guy said the previous owner had someone broken the plastic connector that keeps popping off in my video and that when he went to the local mercury place they did not have the exact part but one like it. If you look at the video you can see that the connector I have that keeps popping off is about a 1/2 " longer than the connectors on the rod in front of it. I'm pretty sure I need a shorter connector.

Billy