76 Mercury 1500 150hp no reverse

[jamesmillus]

I just replaced my wire harness and throttle, that connects to my 76 Mercury 1500 150 hp, I hooked up the control cables and got it to run relatively smooth. In neutral it runs and the prop is moving a bit fast, forward runs good but no stop when i bring it into neutral so that it can go into reverse. and no revers.I unhooked both cables and in neutral it only goes one direction i believe it to be forward (clockwise) with a clicking and no reverse on reverse the same thing and of course forward the same thing. After reading some of the other post I'm thinking I need to take apart the lower end.

 

[calvinator]

In neutral the prop should not be spinning. With Engine off - prop should spin by hand clockwise and counter clockwise freely. I'm sensing that is not the case in your setup. You are still in gear....

If you replaced throttle cable, it needs to be adjusted at the motor side. Adjust using the barrel nut on the cable so the cable is mid-point with the shift slider. Common adjustment

If you removed your lower unit for maintenance, the shift mechanism could have shifted into gear. When you re-installed the lower unit, the lower unit was in gear but your control box was in neutral. Just need to rotate the shift mechanism on the lower unti into neutral.... Common problem and easy fix.

There are several threads on iboat describing yours problems -- search for them -- they explain the issue/solution better than I can !!!

 

[jamesmillus]

I hooked up the shift cable in reverse as I was instructed at a marine here in town and throttle all the way to the back, so i can get it to start and run. I replaced the lower unit in reverse, as was mentioned in a you tube vid I watched. The problem is I have no idea what the reverse position in the lower unit is? In the vid they show everything except the position of the gears? Another thing is that with the lower unit off the prop was having the same problem only turning in one direction with the clicking, it will go the other way just really hard to move. Even when I moved the gear on the lower unit. So just a few questions because I'm sure I need to remove the lower unit again.

1. Should't the prop move freely when the lower unit is off?
2.What position should the engine be in F N R when I remove it? and if it matters now?
3. What position should the gear be in on the lower unit when I put it back on, and where I can find a picture of that position?
4. What gear on the engine when I put it back on.
5

 

[racerone]

Step # 1 is to take the lower unit off.---Then adjust cables so that nuetral puts shift in the middle of the travel on the slider.------Now put lower unit in nuetral by turning the shift rod till you get nuetral.----Then assemble again.--Fine tune the adjustment on the shift cable.

 

[jamesmillus]

Ok I feel a little stupid what I was referring as the lower unit, Was actually the bottom part not the part that is the prop. Are you saying that I have to take lower unit off and set it in neutral?

 

[merc850]

This is how I do it in about 60 sec.: Remove LU -turn the shift shaft by hand counter-clockwise until it
stops, then with Vise Grips tight on the bottom of the shaft turn it a
few more degrees CCW until it clicks into a stop, this
should be neutral - check by turning propshaft --
prop should spin freely.
Put control in N and go ahead and attach LU to driveshaft housing some turning of the flywheel will help the DS splines align.
Do not shift into reverse unless you turn the prop at the same time.

 

[Fed]

I'm not sure where you're up to but it seems you haven't removed the lower unit at all?
If this is the case then the shift shaft is probably in the correct position.
Don't be worried about the prop turning while the motor is running & in neutral, it's normal.
Don't get confused by the prop ratcheting in the wrong direction, if you think about it it's probably in the right direction.

The posts you've made are pretty confused and the normal response it to advise you to pull it all apart & start again to level the playing field.
I'll add to those responses just for fun, run a kit through the water pump if you remove the lower unit.

How about a clear description of what happened & what's happening now?

 

[jamesmillus]

I have the lower unit off, not the part that is the prop with all the gears. I do not have the tool to remove the prop. I took it off in neutral. I have the lower half out with the drive rod, which is hard to turn. next to the drive rod and water pump there is one more small rod which i believe to be the shift rod, I can turn it freely both ways only half way around ( lets say when you are looking down at it from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock). That is where I am right now. Even though the water was flowing very well while running it. I do think I might change that water pump as well.

 

[Fed]

Great, now all you need to do is follow posts #4 & #6 when you put it back together.

All I would add is you may have to get someone to slightly turn the flywheel as you're lifting the lower unit up into position, this is only to align the drive shaft splines with the crankshaft splines.
All the advice about doing it all in reverse gear is so you can align those splines single handed by turning the prop.

If the guys at Mercury had of simply said get a helper to rotate the flywheel for spline alignment then half the questions in the Mercury forum wouldn't be there.

I should add, don't force anything by using the bolts to pull it up it should go all the way up by hand.
The first one I did I shattered the shift shaft by forcing it with the bolts, had to then pull the powerhead off to replace it.

 

[jamesmillus]

Merc850 your a freaking genius. It totally worked. Now the prop is free, just having a little trouble getting it back on with aligning the water pomp and gears. If you have any tips on that I would be very happy. right now I have a strap on it trying to align the gears to finish installation. Just so you know I am not very mechanically inclined, yet I have found a new passion with this boat. My whole family are in the ski race industry, yet this web sit has helped beyond i could have ever imagined. I would like to thank everybody for your help. starting to get the hank of this. again thank you.

 

[racerone]

You need to take the time and think this through.---The control on the motor must be in the nuetral position.--And the cable must be positioned so that slider on the side is at mid travel.----Assemble it.---What often happens is that lower units are removed in nuetral and then the strong spring on the clutch dog puts it in forward.-----Happens when you open a cold one and are not looking.-You must make sure lower unit is in nuetral when you push it up.