1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

I have a 1971 Mercury 75 7.5 hp outboard. Can anyone tell me how to take the tiller assembly apart. Below the rubber throttle handle, as you work down the tiller handle is a ring. On the top is a round headed pin (parts list calls it a drive screw??) that also acts as the indicator on that ring as to when to throttle is turned to the start position. 360 degrees from that, around the ring, is a small hex set screw with a 3/32 hex wrench needed. I can get the hex screw out, but nothing happens in terms of taking it apart. It looks like the drive screw would have to come out before I could disassemble the entire tiller handle. I have taken the rubber handle off. No help there. Nothing to unscrew or remove. How would I get this "drive screw" out, or, is there another way to disassemble this unit. I need to strip it down completely. Got a back-up one that I want to exchange some parts with. Can anyone help? SN of outboard is 3018871. Thanks.

Re: 1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

Your working on the wrong end, at the other end there is a small pin that holds the gear on, drive it out and with the gear removed the handle and shaft should pull out as an assembly

Re: 1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

Thank you. I really appreciate the speedy reply and pointing me in the right direction. I have studied this thing for the last half hour, and can see no pins reachable from the outside of the housing, or any way to get behind the big gear to find one. There are two small reciprocating holes in the housing that look like maybe they were put there to punch the pin out that is behind the gear? I am anywhere near close? If so, does the gear have to be lined up somehow to drive the pin. If not, I could use some more advice. Stone rookie here.

Re: 1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

It's been awhilr since I work on a handle but the wat I recall it the pin is hard to get too and can not be driven all the way out only far enough to release the shaft. So you are probably on the right track and it has to be done through those holes. Wish I could say for sure and there is nothing in the manual about teardown of the handle.

Re: 1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

Thanks again. I will see what I can do with it. I honestly can't see any other way it could be done. I will let you know if I find a way to make it work.

Re: 1971 Mercury 7.5 hp tiller assembly

I have looked in all the Mercury Manuals that I can find and there is no tear down or assembly sections for your engine so here is a parts breakdown, apparrently that's as good as it gets. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...br=444&bnbr=15&bdesc=STEERING+HANDLE+ASSEMBLY