Clutch Dog replacement

I have a 1991 40 horse Johnson. I was having problems getting it to go into reverse and after some tinkering and looking I am pretty sure that I have a problem with the clutch dog. I was wondering if anyone has replace one of these themselves and how much work was involved. I am just looking for some tips or troubleshooting to make this easier. Thanks for the help.

Re: Clutch Dog replacement

Get an OEM shop manual and you should be fine. Are you sure the gears are OK? They are usually NG, at least the fwd one, when the clutch dog gives up. Just take your time and follow the shop manual. Not a bad idea to replace the prop shaft seals, drive shaft seal and shift rod 'O' ring while you have it all apart.

BTW, clutch dog failure is usually attributed to either incorrect shift linkage adjustment and/or poor shift technique ... shifting should NOT be gentle, but done briskly and positively. Slow shifting, where you hear any clicking, is what kills clutch dogs.

I reread your post. It's unusual for rev to be a problem, since most shifts are to fwd. You may have a case of mis-adjusted linkage ... lot's cheaper. Has anyone messed with the linkage prior to the rev problem surfacing?

Re: Clutch Dog replacement

Jim,
Thanks for the help. I have checked the linkage and that didn?t seem to be the problem. I think the reason that the reverse is going out is that the motor is used a lot for backtrolling on a river. So there is a large amount of in and out of reverse gear. I think the guy who sold me the boat was a little harder on shifting then me. I am sure when I get in there I will have to replace the reverse gear also. Do you know where is could find an OEM shop manual?

Re: Clutch Dog replacement

See below my signature above.