Commander Classic Neutral Lock Pin Won't Re-Engage

[woodman7975]

I have one of the old style Commander control boxes on my 1988 Sea Ray Seville (Alpha 1 drive, Mercruiser 4.3l). I did a complete renovation this summer and when I took the boat out for the first time the control box jammed up. I took the control box off and found that it was full of fiberglass dust from the renovation. I cleaned the control box out, re-greased everything, and replaced the neutral safety switch. In my research on fixing this I found that that the previous owner had removed the neutral lock pin and rod (11 and 12 in the parts diagram below) (I always wondered why the lever did not lock when you brought it back into neutral from forward or reverse). I found the parts on eBay and reinstalled everything, but I can't get the neutral lock pin to re-engage after I put it back into neutral. The first time I put it all together and manually engage the pin it works and when I push the handle it will pull the pin out and unlock, but it wont go back in or re-lock after the first time. It is almost like there is a spring that should push the pin back in, but I do not see it on any of the parts diagrams. I found the Mercruiser manual for this controller and followed the directions for re-install (it doesn't mention a spring either), but I must be missing something. I do have part 4 in the correct position, because it will lock the first time. I put a picture below and a parts diagram for the controller. Am I missing something? I had ran the boat without this for a few years, due to me not knowing that it was even missing, but I would really like this feature to work. This isn't the throttle only button it is the pin inside the handle that locks the handle in neutral until you push in the lever at the top of the handle. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong.

 

[Bt Doctur]

7 is the spring that returns the arm to lock it

 

[alldodge]

The spring is item 7. When the trigger (item 8) is depressed it twist the locking rod (item 6) and pulls the lock pin out. When trigger is released the spring pushes the trigger back out and in turn should apply pressure to push pin back in when neutral is reached.

Your issue is probably why the PO removed it. They are not a good design, which later changed so that the lock is under the handle and is pulled up to unlock

 

[Bt Doctur]

Damm, remember the good old days without all this government intervention. And we all lived

 

[woodman7975]

I have the spring (7) in the handle or trigger and the trigger moves in and out, but the rod doesn't re-engage the pin when I let off the trigger. I'll take the handle apart tonight and see if something is broken inside their that allows it to pull the pin out but not push it back in again. Luckily I have two of the handle/trigger assemblies at home from a previous boat.

 

[achris]

Damm, remember the good old days without all this government intervention. And we all lived

One of these???

 

[BassinGas]

same issue 2 years later, did you ever figure out why?