30 horse chrysler shifting problems

Hello everyone,
I have an early 70's model 30 hp chrysler with shifting problems, it wont go into reverse but will go into forward and neutral fine. Friday I took the boat into a so called boat mechanic. After 2 hours he called and said that the transmisson was no good and I am looking at a 500 repair. I wasn't willing to do this with an older motor so I went and got the boat. When I got home I put the motor into a trash can and fired it up. As I looked at the motor I realized the shift plate(if that is what they are called, a plate with three holes for forward neutral and reverse that a ball slides into) was not going down all the way. I took a screwdriver and barely pryed up on it and the motor went into reverse easier than it ever has. I spent the weekend trying to adjust the shift cable inside the motor and inside the control box and also trying to adjust the bar hanging down from close to the flywheel to the shift plate. I just can't seem to get all three gears at the same time, I can only get two. I am lost in this whole situation and hate to take it back to get looked at. It will be a different mechanic if I do. I believe it to be a simple fixz, maybe I am wrong. If any can help me I would sure appreciate it.

Thanks.

Re: 30 horse chrysler shifting problems

First put the cables back so that when the control is in neutral, the center hole id detented with the ball.

NOW, remove the two lower shrouds. There will be a hex coupler and a locknut holding the upper and lower shift rods. Loosen the locknut and adjust the shift rod so that it is in neutral. The couple is threaded opposite on both ends so tuerning one way lengthens and turning the other way shortens. Easy does it. A little goes a long way . Try 1/2 turn at a time.

Now check the throe into forward and reverse. It should be equal both ways and you should get both gears.

And don't go back to that mechanic. It is not a transmission--at least, not in the strict sense of the definition.

After youtry this come back and tell us whether it worked.