"GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

[aqualungs]

I have a 1979 Johnson 70hp...I put a 1979 Evinrude 70hp lower unit on it... Now the gearing is backwords...Forward is Reverse and Reverse is Forward...
Anyone know whats happening here??? I hope its just a linkage problem.
Thanks

 

[restornator]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

your new lower unit may be counter-rotating? you may need a new propeller

 

[aqualungs]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

It won't hurt to run the gears in the opposite direction?

 

[aqualungs]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

I was talking to the dealer...He said you can't buy a prop which goes the opposite direction for a 70hp...Is he full of it?

 

[ezeke]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

No, they never made a counter-rotating 70.

You probably have an earlier gearcase which will require the matching linkage at the engine.

Does the back of the skeg drop straight down or is it angled around 45??

 

[cougar1985]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

is it possible atall you got the shift and throttle cables on backwards?had a old merc and i put them backwards and gave me fits for a few seconds till i figured that boo boo out,lol

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

I agree - you did NOT get a '79 lower unit. Finding a counter-rotating prop will NOT fix your problem.

You have two options...
1 - find the correct lower unit. As Ezeke noted, the one you want will likely have a swept back skeg. The skeg with the trailing edge at a 90-degree to the propshaft is the earlier style and won't work.
2 - find the shift linkage from an earlier model. You want the whole shabang - the bellcrank, tie-bars, etc. from the powerhead.

Also, confirm the year of your motor. If you post the model number we can be sure you've got a '79...

 

[ezeke]

Re: "GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE" OZZY Quote

Click the thumbnail; the gearcase on the left is the 1977 model, the one on the right is 1979.