Last spring I picked up a nice 79 Merc 9.8 in mint condition, it was mounted on a Homebilt Minimax Hydroplane.<br /> It has been unused & in indoor storage for the last 30 years The motor has maby 5 hours on it acording to the guy I bought it from, and it sure looked like it. The wood hydro need re-glassing, updating hardware and new paint. I went threw the motor as it had no spark when pulled over. I replaced the water pump impeller and seals, Lower unit gear oil, up top i replaced the Points and Condencer sets and reset the dwell, Opened up the carbs and fuel pump and cleaned everything up and put her all back together. When checking the timming I was turnning the flywheel by hand and the plugs would spark really strong, Wow This thing was going to run nice. It stars & runs so well its incredable, you hardly get it ready for a pull on the compression stroke and the thing starts first pull every time.<br /> The only problem I have is with the Plastic shift lever, I guess after all these years the plasic has gone brittle and the lever has stripped on the splined shifter shaft. The Metal shaft that exits out the side of the motor housing has a course splined end that the plastic handle pushes onto then a eggcorne nut holdes it in place. My problem is that I can not find the same course splined plastic shift lever, I have gone threw all the microfish veiws at the Merc dealer and all they show is a shaft with a square head that the lever would fit onto, I ordered one hoping that I could adapt it in some way but it would not work. <br />I can not seam to find the proper splined shift lever at all, Does anyone know whare I might find one or do I have to replace the shaft to a square head and use that type of lever? Does any one have one for sale. Any info or help would be great.<br /> Sorry about the long tale. <br /> Just signed up and am a newbe.<br /> Thanks Blair
