[jjiboats]

I am tring to remove lower unit on a 1974 85 hp Evinrude. I have losened the bell crank halves and seperated the shift linkage from the bell crank. The manual says it should drop. It looks like its hanging on the shift rod conector.
Don't see a way to remove it from the shift shaft.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Joe

[Joe Reeves]

If you have both halves of the bellcrank shift connector off and away from the barrel shift connector that sits (threaded) on top of the shift rod, it isn't the shift connector that's hanging up.

More likely it's the driveshaft splines rusted within the crankshaft splines. This happens when someone has the lower unit off and neglects to install the upper driveshaft O Ring and thoroughly grease the driveshaft splines.

[jjiboats]

Thanks for the help. It was the shift rod connector not lining up with housing. Moved it around and it dropped.

[Joe Reeves]

Amazing, you're lucky.