1998 25HP Evinrude lost shift rod keeper

[Lewis]

In taking off the gearcase, I lost the black plastic split ring that keeps the nut on the upper shift rod linkage. Appears to be part number 0325625. The only parts place in town can't get one for 10 days, and I have a trip scheduled Friday. Any ideas for a workaround?

 

[travjenkins1]

You can try a piece of a butt connector and shrink it/cut it down to size. Be careful on heating that rod as it will warp.

 

[kbait]

Get it right here at iboats.. #73 in following schematic: https://www.iboats.com/shop/engine-p...ase-Parts.html
should be much less than 10 days.. give ‘em a call.

 

[Lewis]

Excellent! The diameter of the groove on the upper shift rod is almost exactly the same as the inner diameter of the plastic sleeve on a 10-12 AWG butt connector (standard yellow plastic one). The plastic sleeve even has a bit of a flare at the ends. I drove out the inner metal crimp part so I had just the plastic sleeve. Then cut a section of the plastic tube the same length as the groove on the shift rod, with part of the center non-flared section and par of the flared end section. That gave me a sort of cone-shaped plastic tube. Cut a slit wide longitudinally to allow it to slip over the shaft, and it works like a charm. I'll follow up with a few pics just in case anybody else finds themselves in this situation.
Thanks, travjenkins. I owe you a beer!
Lewis

 

[Lewis]

kbait, thanks for the link. Unfortunately, the cost for expedited shipping - plus the chance for shipping delays with the crazy weather - has me working on a more immediate and less costly solution. I will definitely order one from iboats to have on hand as a spare.
Living in a town with just one shop, I'm starting to think about what kind of parts I need to keep on hand. Maybe a topic for a new thread; I'm interested in what other folks keep on their parts shelves.

 

[Lewis]

Here are a couple of pics showing how I worked with travjenkins' solution. The first shows the markings on the butt connector I used along with another butt connector where I have marked approximately where I cut out the section I used. The second pic shows how the piece fits on the upper shift rod (sorry about the glare).

 

[Lewis]

Just to close this thread out, I used this on a three-day trip and it held up fine. Your mileage may vary!