Trouble Shifting

[newtoengines]

I am looking at my manual shift linkage and I see three notches, when I turn the manual shift lever the lever will only engage the first notch, are you supposed to be able to get the lever to the next two notches while the motor is not running, what are the three positions from top to bottom? trying to get this motor started and not sure it is in neutral, I can spin the prop shaft but I can't make it do a full revolution while "I think it is neutral" HELP Please and Thank You!

 

[crxess]

Re: Trouble Shifting

Are you at the console or the motor?

Normally 3 positions. Reverse - Neutral - Forward

You cannot normally shift between gears without the motor running unless someone turns the prop as you try. Trying to shift without assistance can damage the cable.

 

[newtoengines]

Re: Trouble Shifting

I am at the motor and trying to find the neutral position, which position is that on the manual shift? I think it is all the way towards the prop and then the prop will spin a little bit by hand but not in full revolutions?

 

[MidnightSpeedKC]

Re: Trouble Shifting

If you look on the side of your shaft going down, there is a little rectangular plate. Take the two screws off of that and you'll see there is another plate, similar to the one you just took off on the inside. Take that one off as well and see if your shift rods came disconnected at the joint in there. If they did, reconnect them and see if it shifts into F - N - R. If it still doesnt, take your lower unit off and see if the Shift Linkage/dog-bone/clutch housing stuff came disconnected. If they did, press the dog-bone back into the clutch housing and re-install the lower unit.

Sorry for my lack of technical terms, but I just had to go through this with a 1959 35hp Lark as well. And the dog-bone had come disconnected.

 

[MidnightSpeedKC]

Re: Trouble Shifting

I am at the motor and trying to find the neutral position, which position is that on the manual shift? I think it is all the way towards the prop and then the prop will spin a little bit by hand but not in full revolutions?

Nuetral should be Straight up and down, and the shift lever will 'click' into nuetral. Push it towards the front of the boat and it should 'click' into Forward. Do the same for Reverse, but push the lever to the back.

See my post above this one for some trouble shooting on why it wont go into or come out of gear.

 

[newtoengines]

Re: Trouble Shifting

I took the shift rod access plate off and it is still connected in there, when I move the manual shift lever the rod can move up and down about an inch maybe. There is only 1 position that the shift lever will click into while the motor is not running and then I can spin the prop by hand in a half circle but can't do a full rotation, I tried spinning the prop and then changing gears and can't get it to switch gears,

What I am thinking is that something in the gears is held up and the motor really isn't in neutral while I am trying to start it and that is adding resistance and not allowing the flywheel to turn as fast as it needs to to build up compression and start. Awhile back when I was changing the lower unit oil I made the mistake of taking out the pinion screw (acutal name?) and then I had to align the whole and throw it in gear and then put the screw in, could this have something to do with the problem I am having? Any other ideas before I rip the lower unit apart, I really didn't want to do that until winter but I guess I might have to, I have already rebuilt the ignition, carb, starter, and was hoping I would be able to get it started without ripping apart the lower unit but it looks like I might have to?

 

[MidnightSpeedKC]

Re: Trouble Shifting

I took the shift rod access plate off and it is still connected in there, when I move the manual shift lever the rod can move up and down about an inch maybe. There is only 1 position that the shift lever will click into while the motor is not running and then I can spin the prop by hand in a half circle but can't do a full rotation, I tried spinning the prop and then changing gears and can't get it to switch gears,

What I am thinking is that something in the gears is held up and the motor really isn't in neutral while I am trying to start it and that is adding resistance and not allowing the flywheel to turn as fast as it needs to to build up compression and start. Awhile back when I was changing the lower unit oil I made the mistake of taking out the pinion screw (acutal name?) and then I had to align the whole and throw it in gear and then put the screw in, could this have something to do with the problem I am having? Any other ideas before I rip the lower unit apart, I really didn't want to do that until winter but I guess I might have to, I have already rebuilt the ignition, carb, starter, and was hoping I would be able to get it started without ripping apart the lower unit but it looks like I might have to?

Taking the lower case (skeg case) .... again, I apologize for my lack of technical terms ... Is only what...9 bolts? I'd say go ahead and drop that off and see if the dogbone came disconnected. It might have came out if you didnt get the pinion screw back into the shift linkage/dogbone thing. (i know the screw you're talking about, I had the same issue before)