How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

[Merc90HPnewbie]

Ok, put new pump upper housing and impeller on lower unit. Driveshaft turned fine (when I was twisting the impeller into the upper housing-everything I read says to go clockwise). Went to install lower unit back onto leg, could not turn driveshaft in order to mate with upper half of motor.<br /><br />I figured maybe it went into another gear (controls on boat were still set to forward as it was when I removed lower unit) but I dont know how to tell. I moved the shift shaft around to different positions and sriveshaft still wouldnt turn more than 15 degrees or so. I assume I jammed something up and have to take the pump housing off and see if the driveshaft is bound up (maybe the 'key' slipped off the flat). BUT:<br /><br />How do I tell what gear the lower unit is in? <br /><br />How do I move the shift shaft - I'm assuming I just grab the splines with pliers (I put cardboard on the jaws to prevent damage)<br /><br />Thanks!!

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Prop spins freely - neutral.<br />Prop ratchets clockwise direction, locks counterclockwise, you're in forward. <br />Prop locks in both directions, you're in reverse.<br /><br />- Scott

 

[andrewkafp]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Merc<br /><br />I thought I read that you leave the drive shaft where it is and turn the crankshaft clockwise until they mate up .... <br />Maybe I misread...

 

[jim phillips]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

I have always found it easier to turn the fly wheel to get it all to line up.

 

[andrewkafp]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

DITTO..

 

[Merc90HPnewbie]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Ah ok, I was trying to turn the driveshaft. Seemed to be to be easier since I was holding the lower unit in my hands...cant really get up top to the flywheel. Also I figured it would be harder to spin than the driveshaft. Although I guess I could have taken out the sparkplugs. <br /><br />Anyway- how do you make sure the shift shaft in the lower unit is in the right spot when you go to put it back together? I think the book says to be in neutral or forward (can't remember right now). Is that all the way forward? Do I have to make sure the throttle lever up in the cockpit is all the way forward too? Or does it not matter 'how forward' it is?

 

[briannh1234]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Newbie -<br /><br />I have done this with the lower unit in either neutral or forward.<br /><br />In neutral - Make sure you lower unit is in neutral and you controler is in neutral. They should line up.<br /><br />In forward - This is the way the manual tell's you to do it. Make sure you controller is in forward - when I do it - it is all the way forward. (also called WOT) Make sure the lower unit is in forward, but just. As in, once the lower unit is in forward, there is a whole range you can spin the shift shaft in and still have the lower unit in forward. You don't want it at the wrong end of the range. You need to have it so that it's not in neutral but just ready to put in neutral.<br /><br />You will never install this thing all by yourself. It is at a minimum a 2 person job. One to hold the lower unit, and another to line things up using long fingers or screwdrivers. A third person is great too, to spin the flywheel. (take the plugs out)<br /><br />Again - good luck. It will seem much easier next year.

 

[Merc90HPnewbie]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Thanks BrianNH. That part about having the lower in forward but just barely will help out I'm sure.<br />The hard part will be teaching the wife what the flywheel looks like <br />Thanks!

 

[BF]

Re: How do I know what gear lower unit is in?

Hiya,<br /><br />With all due respect to Brian... I think how he does it might leave you with a poorly adjusted shift linkage. On my V150 (which maybe different than yours), the shift linkage continues to shift further a bit further into FWD as the throttle is advanced (even after it has passed the detent for FWD). If you have the set the controller to WOT and the LU "barely" into FWD, then that means that at idle in FWD the LU might be a bit LESS than barely into FWD (because the shift linkage is shifted a bit back towards N before the controller actually shifts out of FWD). I went through this with my motor just this summer. I had to tweak the adjustment and make it go "more" into FWD right from the start. Otherwise, the clutch dog would occassionally jump. I think cable stretch was my problem.<br /><br />When I drop LU, I put my control in "idle FWD" (at the detent) and that's where it stays.. when I re-install LU, I make sure it's in FWD before it <br />goes on.<br /><br />Also, I've never needed to take the plugs out to move the flywheel a bit... you don't really need to turn the motor over, just be able to rotate it a miniscule amount at a time slowly to get the splines to line up. Thumbs on flywheel seems to be OK.<br /><br />Anyway, I don't mean to try and sound like an outboard guru (I'm not!)... but I just did go through adjusting my shift cable/linkage a few weeks ago. I'd never really looked at how it worked until I needed to adjust it.<br /><br />HTH<br /><br />Brent