[SaltyKayak]

I have an older Mariner 9.9 that I use for a kicker. Very little water is coming out of the pee hole and I want to change the impeller but cannot figure out how to disconnect the shift shaft to pull the foot off. I can remove the 3 bolts holding the foot onto the leg and the foot drops 2 inches and the drive shaft rotates freely but the shifting shaft is keeping the foot from sliding the rest of the way off.
Here are some pictures of the motor..
http://picasaweb.google.com/ljadams/NineNine#

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanx, saltykayak

[emckelvy]

The shift shaft goes all the way thru to the top of the powerhead.

There's a clip that holds the shaft in place to the shift linkage. Pull the clip upwards to unlock it, then pull straight to the outside to release.

You'll also have to undo the reverse latch actuator in order to pull the shaft down. It's the piece you see in the 2nd picture, the one that pushes on the reverse lockout latch when the shift shaft moves up and down. Be sure to mark or otherwise note its position for reinstallation.

One caveat on this lower unit, the shift shaft screws into its actuator inside the gearcase. Do Not spin the shift shaft around once the lower unit is pulled. This changes the shifting adjustment and you will Sorely Regret having done so! You don't wanna know how I know this, either!!!

HTH & G'luck...........ed