89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

[jti30666]

Is it possible to shift the lower unit into a different gear with a long flat-blade screwdriver????

Asking this because I cannot get the lower unit installed and be able to shift gears like before...I am at a loss....Worked on installing the lower unit for over 12 hours with no luck...please help

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: 89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

I have a 1982 30A (Japanese made). Don't know how similar it is to yours.

Did you remove the shift shaft from the gear housing? On mine, if I remove the shift shaft the gears will shift into forward. I can push on the end of the rod that normally bears on the ramp at the end of the shift shaft with a flat blade screw driver. By doing that (pushing toward the prop) I can shift the gears into neutral or reverse. I can't go the other way (reverse to neutral, neutral to forward) since I can't "pull" on the rod.

If you didn't remove the shift shaft while doing your work, the only thing I can think of that would cause a problem would be the linkage where you disconect the upper shift shaft from the lower shift shaft when removing the LU. You might not have the coupling nut adjusted correctly.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: 89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

You can see the parts diagram of my set up at: http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury-outboard/655.cfm

Look under "Gearhousing" and you can determine if mine is similar to yours.

 

[jti30666]

Re: 89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

Thank you sir....

Yes we have the same exact setup...

I guess I am trying to move the cam follower to change the gears....

It however appears that the follower has moved all the way to the rear of the gear case...

I can move it slightly forward with a long flat-head but then it just stops...ie I cannot get it to move forward any farther which is preventing me from properly installing the shift shaft...

From the diagram I noticed that the follower is spring "loaded" which makes sense but I would think that inside the gear case within the mechanism there would be something to prevent the follower from moving all the way to the rear of the gear case...

Would moving the prop or driveshaft while pressing on the follower make it any easier to shift??

I guess I will try this next....

Issue I am having is finding a flat-blade small enough in diameter, but long enough to reach the follower as well as having enough "strength" so that it does not bend or break so I am going to move the follower again with my flat-blade then try and move it the rest of the way into reverse with a larger Phillips that I have...

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: 89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

OK, that happened to me (cam follower moved all the way to the rear) when I removed the lower shift shaft to replace the boot.

You only have to push the cam follower in enough to get the first (lowest) node on the cam in place - that will be with the gearcase in forward. On mine I was able to push it with my Big A** screwdriver - it would click into place and hold in the forward and neutral positions, but would only hold in reverse if I rotated the drive shaft clockwise while pushing on the follower. So, I think you are on the correct track with rotating the drive shaft.

Make sure you rotate the drive shaft clockwise or you risk screwing up your impeller. You can also rotate the prop shaft - just make sure you are rotating it in the direction that moves the drive shaft clockwise.

 

[jti30666]

Re: 89 Mariner 30AE lower unit instal

Solution:

removed lower section of shift shaft....I'm helping a friend and he didn't do this when he removed he lower unit so when he
did remove the lower unit the follower moved to the rear of the gear case....I used a very long flat-blade to pop it into neutral then a thicker section of bar stock I had to get it into reverse; then I inserted the lower section of the shift shaft and secured its retaining ring....Problem solved??? NO

The lower unit would shift fine through the gears off the motor and my friend said "wow I have reverse now"...um, you never had reverse??? I noticed allot of play in the upper shift shaft so I removed the motor from its transom mount and low and behold someone and previously jerry rigged a fastener to hold the upper portion of the shift shaft in place to the gear selector mechanism...which easily broke upon more "inspection"...

To fix this problem I used a T nut whose shaft was long enough reach through both the upper shift arm and gear selector arm...Finished attaching with socket head cap screw, washers, and a locknut...torqued it down enough were the play was gone and it had smooth operation..lubing it all with marine molly lithium grease...all parts were stainless steel

Now this is not why there was no reverse....with the lower unit installed on the motor set in reverse and the gear selector set in reverse I noticed that there was about three inches of thread missing from the upper shift shaft...I purchased 2 connecting nuts and threaded them to M7X1.0 and then cut the bolt head off of a M7X1.0 bolt...

Using this I "filled the gap" to connect the upper and lower halves of the shift shaft and I now could run through all of the gears with no problem...Using locktite on all fasteners as well

I threw the motor back on and reassembled the upper and lower shift shafts

Everything works now and my friend is very happy that he has a working water pump (replaced) as well as reverse...

Thanks for your replies