5.5 fisherman

[The RealRookie]

I just got this back together and im having a slight problem. Firstly, is a 1960 (found out here). It all went back together smooth and this is my first power head and water pump removal. It wasnt like this before i attemted the job, which is basicly within my means. Im no pro but im mechanicly inclined, so here goes<br /><br />To get the shift lever off i just took the 2 little nuts off the top where it connects to the lever. They were bottomed out when i took them off, so i bottomed them out to put them back on. Now when i shift forward, it only goes in a little and i think it will pop out with some jults. BUT, when i got to reverse, i get a little grinding and the lever moves twice the distancec as goes forward.<br /><br />Like i said, all i did was unbolt the top and put it back the same way. I didnt take apart the gearing, or even go in there, on the bottom end.<br /><br />Why is this doing this?<br /><br />Thanks

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I just took the powerhead off and there is no way i could have messed up bolting the top of the gear rod back on the lever. Going for the lower unit now.....

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I dont know wtf is up with this. Now its reverse. Will go to far into forward and not enough into reverse. It seems to get worse the more i play with it.

 

[JB]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

What does your Repair Manual say about how to do that, TRR?

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I aint got a repair manual, yet. I just put new lube in the bottom end, marine lower gear lube. Could that be why? I ran it again and it seems to get worse as i play with it, unless i let it sit a few minutes off. I had it at an idle and it wouldnt change gears at all, it was like stuck in reverse. It only came out when i moved the shifter back and forth real fast. Its all ****ed up. It worked perfect when i put it back together today for the second time. When i had it apart today, i moved the lever while spinning the prop and it moved like its supposed to. How do you scream in text?

 

[Backlash]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Hi RR,<br />Did you actually remove the shift lever? Is the gearbox in neutral when the lever is in neutral? I'm not sure of the exact setup on that motor but it sounds like it wasn't in true neutral when you put the shift lever back on in the neutral position. How much play is there in the shift lever?<br />Backlash

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I didnt remove the shift lever or the rod. The rod goes into the lower gearbox. The top of the rod goes onto the levers linkage and has 2 little nuts on top. Cant be adjusted up top at all. All the lever and linkage seems to be pretty solid.<br /><br />When i had it all apart today, i messed with the rod while turning the prop by hand. It went into all the gears right but went past one (dont know which gear) a little farther than it should have.<br /><br />When i put it all back together and fired it up, it moved into all gears fine. The more i messed with it the more the lever became messy, untill it started not changing gears at all, unless i moved it fast and as far as it will go.<br /><br />Does anyone have a diagram of what the gear case looks like? I am watching a ebay manual but its got some days left. Is there anyway the gearcase can be messed up like this?

 

[alcan]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Hi Rookie<br />Here is my guess. Since you don't have a manual I beleive you removed the wrong screw when you drained your L/U. I beleive you removed the shift pivot pin instead of the drain plug. This will allow the shift yoke to flop around as you describe. To repair this you will need to remove the bottom half of the L/U. This will be easier with the motor upside down, or remove the l/u again. Don't wait for a manual to come up on ebay. Go get one or go to your public library and borrow or copy the needed info. Any after market manual covering OMC outboads back to the fifties or sixties will work just fine.

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Thats a good guess. And heck, maybe it has something to do with that. I dont think this is the problem but hell, anything is posible<br /><br />There are 2 screws that are the same. One os on the VERY VERY bottom, thats the drain. There is another by the plate and it SAYS, stamped right into the housing, fill level.<br /><br />There is one more screw, its smaller and midway between these two. Its a philips screw and much smaller than the other 2.<br /><br />You have the right idea though. Maybe that screw came loose, or maybe the gear lever isnt suposed to be moved while the vent and drain screws are out. I did have them out for a long time while i worked on it letting it drain. I may have moved the gear rod thru some gears while they were out.<br /><br />hmmmm,<br /><br />Looks like lib. tomorrow

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Ok i was wrong about the philips screw location. The drain and vent screws are where i said, both on same side of housing. The philips screw is on the other side of the housing and just below the wide part of the gear case, making it a bit higher than the fill screw, which is on the VERY bottom, otherside.<br /><br />I just checked it and it was tight.<br /><br />If i go and open the gear case, which can be openned, am i in for some sh*t?

 

[sbump26]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

If you didn't mess with that small phillips screw then you didn't mess anything up. When you removed the two screws from the linkage that was the problem. I took both mine off because one of them was stripped out and had to replace the link. When I put them back together, I had one side too far up. Would go into reverse and barely in neutral. The thing to do is to try to even out the amount of linkage in the link with lever in neutral. It really doesn't take much for it to be off. Keep trying and you will figure it out. Mine went in forward gear long enough to get me to the middle of the lake then jumped out of gear. Had to go in reverse back to dock very slow. Finally messed with it enough to get it evened out and it works great. I have a 55 10HP Johnson that runs great now, thanks to the folks here.

 

[alcan]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Sbump, this model uses a one piece shift rod. You have to remove the powerhead in order to discinnect it. There really is no adjustment in the shift linkage.<br /> Rookie, Sbump is correct, if you didn't remove the philips screw, my guess is incorrect. Just draining gear oil would have no affect on anything. You may need to remove the bottom of your l/u and have a peek inside. Double check everything else first. Check for exessive wear at the shift lever and bellcrank on the end of the shift lever shaft. Make sure all is tight. Make sure the shift rod is all the way up and snug to the bellcrank connector. Check to see that the nuts on the shift rod didn't jamb before the rod was snuged up.

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I FOUND THE PROBLEM <br /><br />I went to the library and couldne find crap. I found a 74 and up, but it didnt go into the bottom end enough, as i thumbed thru. I figured, ill wait till i get the maual, if i win the auction.<br /><br />BUT ANYWAYS, i drained the lube from the lower end and i was like..."hmmm, its only been a day or two and its to dark".<br /><br />I pulled it apart carefully and burned some notes in my mind, not that i need to. Come to find out, its all pretty basic to me.<br /><br />I found a broken part!!!!!!!!! <br /><br />I dont know what its called, i think i do, but im not sure. The shift fork, the peice that pivots on the fork is what broke. It has a little place on each side the forks little feet go into. One side of this part is missing!!<br /><br />It has a number on it. 303381<br /><br />Like i said, it didnt shift funny when i got it and ran it. It must have broke after all the work i did to it. The part is aluminum or magniseum(sp) and must have got eatin up by the gears down there. That must be why the fluid is all dark.<br /><br />Is the number the part number? How much off the top of your head? And....... anyone got one?<br /><br />EDIT...Hmmmm, now that i think of it, i did hear a funny humming noise when i first ran it after all the work. It only lasted a few minutes but went away once i got the rpms up.<br /><br />Now i know what happened...i need to fix it. Ah,

 

[alcan]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Sounds like you need a new shift cradle OMC part# 303381. This part may still be available through your nearest dealer. Cost of the part should be $10.-$20. This is just an estimate could be more.

 

[rolmops]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Hello.<br />It is a good thing that you found it.Next thing to do is find out why it broke.<br />You can get a good used one at :<br />www.tcoutboard.com<br />good luck.

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

I would guess that its either age, or i must have mishandled the motor on the bench. Either way, ill check all the other parts in there for wear after a flushing.<br /><br />I have a marine store just a few minutes from here. They have been really good to me for the last few months ive been toying with motors. Can you beleive, they had the power head gasket in stock, and the motor mount, and the pump!<br /><br />Since the bottom of this motor is a little different color, ill go see if the part number matches my motor tomorrow, in their books.

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Yup, was the right part number and they had them both in stock. I got the cradle and the lever, since the lever was bent a little bit.<br /><br />20 for the cradle and 22.50 for the lever. Not to bad.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

Hi Rookie,<br /> Make sure that unit is thoroughly flushed of all metal flakes, etc. before reassembly. The rest of that cradle went somewhere...<br /> Also, in my experience, those cradles fail for one of two reasons. Either the lower unit was left with water in it for a period and the clutch dog's groove (that the cradle rides in) rusted enough to act as an abrasive against the cradle, OR someone forced the motor into gear when it wasn't running. If the clutch dog's ears aren't aligned with the gears and someone tries to force the issue, it can break the cradle...<br /><br /> Good luck! <br />- Scott

 

[The RealRookie]

Re: 5.5 fisherman

When i got it, i made sure it ran before attempting to fix the pivot mount. When i drained the lower unit, the fluid was pretty good. It was a little off what id call clean, so im not to sure it had anything to do with fluid. I found alot of metal grindings and the cradles broken foot inside just this morning. <br /><br />I may have broken it when i had it all apart, eh, Rookie mistake. ???<br /><br />Nothing inside is rusty at all. The cradle old has a little wear but it doesnt look like anything unusual.<br /><br />Thanks