[cancan]

Okay so I dropped the lower end on my 1968 55hp Triumph to change water impeller and had to remove the solenoid housing and pull solenoid out to remove the gearcase fully. I changed the impeller and put everything back together and some how I've lost neutral and reverse. Gearcase was in neutral when I disassembled lower unit. Is there a seperate fluid to go in the solenoid housing or does the gear oil fill that chamber. Any ideas
Signed; I'm so CLOSE

[F_R]

In the first place that was the wrong way to do it. The right way is to disconnect the cable at the top end. No need to monkey with the solenoids. But now that the deed is done...

To answer your specific question, the gear oil fills the whole thing. However they found that it does not like to go into the solenoid chamber so they added another vent plug for that as a running design change. BUT that has nothing to do with your problem. The solenoids don't have to be in oil to work.

Secondly, the gearcase could not have been in neutral when you took it apart. It will ALWAYS be in forward gear when it is not running. Unless the shifter piston is stuck in the oil pump. But that is another story.

I don't know what else to tell you except to again say that the motor has to be running and it has to have oil in it. The oil does the shifting. The solenoids only open and close some oil control valves. The shift switch in the remote control operate the solenoids.

[Joe Reeves]

To remove the lower unit, you'rer supposed to disconnect the shift wires at the starboard side of the powerhead, NOT to remove the solenoids from the lower unit.

In installing the solenoids as you've done, you have missed the oil pump lever hole with the bottom portion of the solenoid assembly.

Remove the lower unit properly, drain the gearlube, then remove the solenoid assembly and re-install it so that the bottom of the solenoid rod assembly is where it belongs.

[cancan]

Okay I've found the gear disconnet wires. Now a dumb question I've disconnected them, so when I drop the lower unit again shoud I hook them to a wire or string to pull them back up through the exhaust housing.

[kauboy]

I'll betcha Joe is spot on. When I took my '67 55 apart, I had purchased a solenoid kit to replace what I thought were bad solenoids. Turned out to just be a broken wire, but I decided to throw the new solenoids in anyways. I did notice that he rod that the solenoids engage when they actuate must fit properly into the hole that Joe referred to. I remember that I was just able to close the housing but that it wasn't as tight as when I took it off. So I inspected further and found that I too had missed this hole. You have to use a light touch to feel when the rod drops in there. When it does, the housing will close and seal nicely.

BTW, my lower unit doesn't have another vent plug for that chamber. Is oil even getting in there? Could this create an air lock? Or is it okay to forget about it?

EDIT: You responded before I could submit :-)
Yes, it is good practice to tie those wires with a longer extension of something so that when its time for reassembly, you can just pull the whole lot back through the housing.
I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but when I dropped my lower unit, I found that someone had installed a two prong plug for easy disconnect of the solenoid wires. That was nice of them, considering I couldn't for the life of me get those wires to pull down through the unit.

[cancan]

Thanks for the info maybe I'll install the lower disconnect myself...

[F_R]

Hey, remember that's underwater. I wouldn't do any splicing unless there was no other way out and even then only with super good insulation. Water and exposed electric wires don't mix.

[kauboy]

Just be sure to check, test, and re-test to ensure that you are hooking them up right. If you mess it up, you may be puttering along one day, kick it into neutral, and start cruising backwards.

EDIT:

Good point F_R. Mine were pretty good, but better never hurts.

[tashasdaddy]

i took a small dowel and just tapped the wire at the grommet, and they come right out.

[cancan]

Thanks for the help guys. I dropped it down and found the solenoid end was not lined up right, so I reajusted and alls well. I don't know what I would do without six or seven more hands to get this thing on the water....

Graham

[kauboy]

Glad to hear you got it going!