Dear Forum, I own a 1984 Mercury 3.5hp 2 cycle outboard, serial number 6298133. I recently installed a new water pump into this outboard with the shifter lever in the neutral position when removing the lower unit and reinstalling it. It has only two shifter positions, Neutral and Forward. It seems to shift erratic now, sometimes it does not go into neutral??? Should I drop the lower unit with the sifter in neutral again and then before reassembling shift the shift lever into forward? Please advise.
