Re: 15 HP Force Shifting rod problems
If your motor has the horizontal shift lever on lower front of the pan, I would be interested in finding out what direction is forward (left or right), and what lever position (forward or reverse) lowers the upper shift rod.
To correctly position the upper and lower shift rods so you can reattach them, use the engine gear shift lever to drop the upper rod (whatever that setting is -- either forward or reverse.) Raise the lower shift rod in the lower unit by pulling it up (whatever gear that engages in the lower unit). As Frank A. says, raise the lower unit to the point where it is held in place by the bolts, but there is still enough room to screw the shift rods together -- then fully raise the lower unit into place after reattaching the shift rods. A way to make reattaching the partially attached lower unit easier is to raise the shift rod with the gear shift lever on the engine, while lifting the lower unit up to its flush position, then tightening the bolts. I'm not sure whether that will mean shifting into forward or reverse (which relates to my first question). But with the lower unit in place, you should be able to shift gears properly. You may have to turn the prop slightly while shifting into gear, but this would be normal. Unless you removed the lower shift rod or screwed it up or down into the cam in the gear box, the shift should be just as it was before you dropped the lower unit to get at the water pump. Try turning the prop slightly or pulling the starter cord slightly when trying to shift and see if that makes a difference.