Merc 9.9 Shift Shaft Tip Points Fwd/Back?

meber

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Aug 9, 2011
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My 1987 (approx) Mercury 9.9 didn't pump water first time out this year. I shut it down and quickly realized that the screen was busted at the water intake. Dropped the lower unit and found the copper intake pipe was full of stuff. Think an insect made a nest in there over off-season. My concern in reassembling it is that the plastic peice at the end of the shift shaft is threaded and it was loose. My questions are: Should it be loose or tight? The shaft points down, but the end is angled to a tip. Should the tip of the angled plastic piece point to the front of the motor or back? A parts diagram shows it to front, but is that to indicate it's final direction after threading it onto the shaft? Thanks!!
 
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