Broken Shift Rod on 1962 28hp

[Toyman991]

Last week while I was out on a local lake, my trusty old Johnson RX-10 would not shift our of forward gear. Hoping for the best, I removed the inspection plate where the upper and lower shift rods connect and was disappointed to see that they were still connected. When I pulled the L/U, I found that the upper shift rod had rusted through and broken about midway up!<br /><br />Has anyone has success repairing a break such as this using a 4"-5" long 1/4" ID metal tube as a sleeve in conjunction with JW Weld to reconnect the two pieces? I really don't want to try to remove the powerhead as some of the bolts are quite rusty.<br /><br />Using this sleeve method, I should be able to reach up into the exhaust housing and slip the sleeve over an inch or two of the upper piece and then slip the lower piece (also coated with JB Weld) into the bottom of the sleeve until the two pieces meet at the break inside the sleeve.<br /><br />Does this sound like a reasonable repair? Any thoughts on the type of metal tube I should use? Brass? Stainless?<br /><br />I'm new to this board and would appreciate any tips you folks could offer me.<br /><br />John

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Broken Shift Rod on 1962 28hp

Toyman.... What you are speaking of amounts to what is referred to in the trade as "Patch Work" and is something that mechanics who are concerned about their reputations avoid.<br /><br />However, the alternative to what you suggest is to remove the powerhead in order to replace that upper shift rod, which you want to avoid.<br /><br />Should you go that route, I would advise you to thoroughly clean both area of the rod with Acetone as you don't want any traces of oil to interfere with the bonding action of whatever agent you intend to use.<br /><br />Gray Marine Tex is excellent, and from what I've heard, the JB Weld that you mention is also.

 

[Toyman991]

Re: Broken Shift Rod on 1962 28hp

Thanks sharing your valuable wisdom, Joe. I completed the "patch work" repair this evening using JB Weld and a brass 9/32: ID tube. I was careful to remove all the rust with a wire brush followed by a thorough cleaning with Clean Start (a potent aerosol degreaser that leaves no residue).<br /><br />I sure hope it holds. This repair joins a JB Weld repair I made to the gearcase 6 years ago that is still holding as well as a helicoil in one of the sparkplug holes.<br /><br />I don't have the skill or confidence to pull a powerhead and no mechanic in my area (Tampa) would go near a motor this old. Plus, two hours of shop time would exceed the value of this old girl.<br /><br />Once again, Joe, thanks for sharing your wisdom. I plan to barrel test it next week when everything is good and cured.<br /><br />John

 

[Toyman991]

Re: Broken Shift Rod on 1962 28hp

Joe, just wanted to let you know that I fired the motor today and it shfts flawlessly! I hope it lasts. I also did the water pump and gearcase oil while I was at it.<br /><br />I've been using Quicksilver oil mixed at 24:1 and it sure smokes and leaves a lot of unburned oil in the test barrel.<br /><br />I think I'll start mixing 32:1 in the future as I think I read where you feel these old motors can run with much less oil in the mix given today's superior oils. Would this be OK?<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your knowlege with novices like myself. You really add a lot to this board.<br /><br />John