69 Johnson 40 HP wont engage gears

bdubious

Cadet
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
22
Been posting a few notes here and there on this PROJECT of mine. Finally got this motor running very well. However, the thing will not engage the gearbox. Linkage is fine, shift is fine. I took apart the split gearcase housing to see if the shift cradle had come apart, it had and I fixed it. IT STILL will not engage gears. This motor has been in an accident. The body panels are uneven and there is a chunk of the cav plate missing. Would this maybe have an effect on the driveshaft? any other problems or places I may be missing. Thanks for any help.
 

Joe Reeves

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
13,262
Re: 69 Johnson 40 HP wont engage gears

Remove the lower unit from the engine. Turn it upside down and remove the skeg, then make sure that everything is as it should be. Replace the skeg, align and install the philips screw.<br /><br />Now, with the unit still removed from the engine, when you can get the unit to shift properly by pulling or pushing the shift rod, install the lower unit back to the engine. That should do it.
 

bdubious

Cadet
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
22
Re: 69 Johnson 40 HP wont engage gears

Thanks for the input. Broke the lower unit off and i did it correctly the first time. The damn drive shaft was severed at the gear box teeth. I appreciate the advice.
 
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