1975 Mercury 650 blue band - Abandoned, but brought back home

[ruahusker]

One other quick thing. I am trying to put the lower unit back on and it seems to be getting stuck about 1/2 inch from being sealed. I took it off with the unit in gear, I replaced the impeller. Now I have it back close to being together. When I turn the prop counter clockwise the flywheel turns, when I turn clockwise it has a slight clicking sound. If I put the boat into neutral it does not freely turn. It looks like the hose, drive shaft, and everything are lined up. ugh. I have been wrestling with it for 2 hours. I have also slightly turned the prop and tried to reposition dozens of times. Can anyone help?

 

[racerone]

It should only take a few minutes to assemble.----Have your assistant slowly turn the flywheel to line up crankshaft splines.----Or operate the control box CAREFULLY to line up shift rod splines.----Yes they click with clockwise rotation , very normal.----And don't use the nuts to pull it together.---It should slide together with ease.

 

[ruahusker]

Spent another couple hours this morning. Just can't get the bugger to go in. The water line is lined up, the crankshaft is lined up (when I turn the prop counterclockwise the flywheel spins, but I am assuming I am not lining up the shift rod spines correctly. I disconnected the control lines completely because they are so corroded they are basically worthless. When I manipulate the shifter by hand at the motor, I move it in pretty much every position (forward, neutral, reverse, in between) and I just can't get it to move more than 1/2 inch close or so. Are there any other tips or tricks to get them to line up right?

Oh, one other thing. If the flywheel is turning when I turn the prop counter clockwise, is my lower in forward or reverse? I assumed it was forward but not sure.

 

[racerone]

Spend 3 minutes on the Mercury forum page on this site.-----Third one down the list covers your apparent struggles on this simple job.-----Read / learn and understand how it works.----Sorry to be blunt.

 

[ruahusker]

Spend 3 minutes on the Mercury forum page on this site.-----Third one down the list covers your apparent struggles on this simple job.-----Read / learn and understand how it works.----Sorry to be blunt.

No worries on being blunt. I have thick skin. I'm doing my best brother. This is a guy that hasn't ever done much more than an oil change on a car and never had the cowling off a boat motor before. Thanks for pointing me to the referred post, it does indeed look a solution to my issue, but alas, I still can't get it in. I am going to keep messing with it. I want to learn so I will proceed at my own peril..ha! Thanks

 

[merc850]

Does your driveshaft have a pin on the top? this is spring loaded and it will be holding the units apart

, assemble the units together in neutral. and check the reverse locks make sure they're not binding on the tilt pin.

 

[ruahusker]

Does your driveshaft have a pin on the top? this is spring loaded and it will be holding the units apart
View attachment 358586
, assemble the units together in neutral. and check the reverse locks make sure they're not binding on the tilt pin.

Well I feel really dumb. Thank you! A couple of things. I do have a pin on the top of the driveshaft but it does not "spring" up and down, should it? As for my gap while trying to push the lower unit it, I was assembling and pushing the lower unit back in while the motor was locked back. I didn't realize the hooks actually did anything until you mentioned the reverse lock and I started poking around. So now I have made progress. The motor will "seal" together with little effort, but when I move the gears into forward and back to neutral nothing engages. It just stays in neutral. It should engage without the motor running, right?

Thanks for this tidbit. I have been racking my brain the last few days. I know I am getting close. I will try to put some more time in in the next couple days.

Thanks

 

[merc850]

The pin is hard to push with your fingers so bolting it up will push it in, did you lube the DS and shiftshaft splines?
This is how I do it in about 60 sec.: Turn the LU shift shaft by hand counter-clockwise until it
stops, then with Vise Grips tight on the bottom of the shaft turn it a
few more degrees CCW until it clicks into a stop, this
should be neutral - check by turning propshaft --
prop should spin freely.
Put control in N and go ahead and attach LU to driveshaft housing some turning of the flywheel will help the DS splines align.
Do not shift into reverse unless you turn the prop at the same time.

 

[ruahusker]

The pin is hard to push with your fingers so bolting it up will push it in, did you lube the DS and shiftshaft splines?
This is how I do it in about 60 sec.: Turn the LU shift shaft by hand counter-clockwise until it
stops, then with Vise Grips tight on the bottom of the shaft turn it a
few more degrees CCW until it clicks into a stop, this
should be neutral - check by turning propshaft --
prop should spin freely.
Put control in N and go ahead and attach LU to driveshaft housing some turning of the flywheel will help the DS splines align.
Do not shift into reverse unless you turn the prop at the same time.

Yeah I lubed the DS and shiftshaft. Followed the other instructions and everything seems to be working exactly as described until I get to the part where I am to my last half inch or so. So the strange thing is, a couple times I was able to get it to go all the way up flush. When I was able to do that, I was unable to shift any gears though. When I get I to go up to about 1/2 inch from flush, I can engage all the gears, in and out of neutral, etc. The gap is almost what the tip of the DS is. Is it possible that the spring loaded top is stuck and that's what is preventing it from going up? I pushed down on it pretty hard with a piece of metal and it didn't budge. Should I tap it a few times lightly with a hammer to see if it goes down?

 

[ruahusker]

It's alive!!!!!!! Thanks for all your help, everyone. I think it was the pin at the top of the driveshaft. I put some liquid wrench on it and let it soak for a while, then worked it and it seemed to go right in. I do have some more questions, but I will go ahead and let this thread die and post new ones. Now the motor runs and started amazingly quick. New starter, impeller, lower unit oil, etc and after sitting for almost 15 years it fired right up. I am a bit concerned about the pee hole and a broken plunger assembly in the choke solenoid. I will make a separate post. Thanks all!

Here she is firing up! (Admittedly after being warmed up).