Mercury 650 1971 outboard 4cyl Help shift cable install

[djohn123]

I recently purchase a 1971 Mercury 650 outboard. I have replaced water pump and oil seals on lower unit. When I bought it, it was in gear. Not sure if that matters or not but I will say when I had the lower unit off I put it back on with the lower unit in neutral. So now i am trying to install the controls and am having trouble with gear arm that is connected to the shift rod. Position of it right now is all the way forward. I can only move it back about 4 to 5 inches which it popped in to gear but not sure which one.

1. So the shift arm up in by the motor has a slot where the shift cable hooks up to it. Its about 8 to 10 in long. Should that be position in the middle of the slot before I hook my cable to it?

2. Would I need to drop the Lunit before I can move that arm freely?

Please help, any advise would be great thanks

Dan

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mercury 650 1971 outboard 4cyl Help shift cable install

The shift slider should be in the center of it's travel, when the motor is in neutral. it sounds like you had the control in forward when you installed the gearcase, which was in neutral. Easiest course is to drop the gearcase, move the throttle handle to neutral, make sure the gearcase is in nueutral and reinstall the gearcase.

 

[djohn123]

Re: Mercury 650 1971 outboard 4cyl Help shift cable install

The shift slider should be in the center of it's travel, when the motor is in neutral. it sounds like you had the control in forward when you installed the gearcase, which was in neutral. Easiest course is to drop the gearcase, move the throttle handle to neutral, make sure the gearcase is in nueutral and reinstall the gearcase.

Thanks Chris1956 that worked. Big help. Thanks again