Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

[Benz Mondi]

OK as I noted in one of my prior posts, I ran aground slightly and sucked up some sand when I reversed out. This likely was the cause of my over-heat alarm going off, if only temporarily. I figured I might as well do the impeller change in order to make sure that all the sand was gone and it hadn't been changed, per receipt, since 2007 (it's a fresh water only boat that has hit the water only a handful of times during that time period between me and the previous owner). While at it, I went ahead and also changed the fuel pump diaphragm.

Aside from some difficulty in getting the lower unit back into place with all three critical parts alighned: the end of the water tube, the shift rod and especially the upper end of the drive shaft as its splines mate with the power head. I had made sure to mark exactly the position of the shift rod before I started by drawing a ring around it with a Sharpie.

The problem is it now doesn?t fire up. I discovered I still had the shift handle in its Neutral Interlock position (pulled out toward the center of the boat) when I removed the lower unit. Now I can?t push the handle into its Normal Neutral position. I believe that this is why my motor won?t start. I cranks put doesn?t fire up. With the handle forward in the normal Cold Start Position, the starter cranks begrudgingly like it?s still in gear.

How does pulling the handle out for the Neutral Interlock position physically affect the connection of the shift rod at the cap with the cotter pin? Do I have to disconnect the whole lower unit again? Shouldn?t I be able to just take the cotter pin out, remove the cap, push the Shift Lever back into its normal position, pull up or down on the Shift Rod slightly to make sure it?s not in gear, mark the height of the shift rod, re-install the end cap, connect the shift rod and re-install the cotter pin? Afterward, confirming that the gearing works properly by moving the shift lever into a gear, shouldn?t I be able to then start the motor?

Thanks,
AL

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

Sounds like something is out of whack. I assume this is your 1983 85HP motor? I can't think of anything that would cause the symptoms that you describe. I would do exactly as you describe. Disconnect connection at the shift rod on the lower unit. Take the cotter pin out and remove the cap. This will free up the connection between the upper shift rod and the lower unit. Have someone operate the throttle handle to make sure it operates properly. I suspect that something is hung up in the throttle handle assy. itself and all you need to do is to take the tension off the cables and hopefully that will free it up.

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

I still couldn't get the shift lever to go back to its normal position even after disconnecting the shift rod cotter pin and cap. I went ahead and dropped the lower unit a second time. I was then able to push the shift lever back in (still can't figure why it worked, but it did). This time It only took me 1/4 of the time to align the splines and push everything back in, bolt it down and connect everything. I wasn't able to fire it up because it was early in the morning and didn't want to wake the neighbors, but then I had to leave for the day. I'll test it tomm.

I did notice that it was much harder to pull the lower unit down this time and that when I was re-installing it, the drive shaft slid in except for the last 1/4 inch. Bolting closed the lower unit gap shut.

Is the drive shaft supposed to slip in all the way so that the lower unit mating surfaces meet right away?

Thanx.

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

The shift rod which runs down inside the middle part of the leg from the power head to the lower gear case must have somehow gotten bound up or something. I don't know. Anyways it sounds like you've probably got it all set now.

Mine does the same thing as far as the last 1/4 inch or so. I assumed that it was the water tube seating itself into the water pump housing that needed that final push to get seated all the way in. Maybe it's something else but that's the way it's been everytime I install the lower unit on my motor.

If you apply too much grease on the splines at the top of the drive shaft, this will also prevent it from sliding all the way into place. Excessive amount of grease forms kind of a seal between the splines in the crank and drive shaft and will trap air in the cavity of the crankshaft making it difficult to get it to push into place by hand.

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

OK figured it out. On my shift lever/ control system, in order to be able to push the Shift lever into Normal neutral (12 o'clock) position from the Pulled out/gear disconnect position, I need to first pull the lever into the reverse position (3 o'clock) and return it to the 12 o'clock position. The lever will then be able to be pushed in (toward the outside of the boat) to then be operated in the normal set up. Don't know if it's by design or if I have something that needs fixing in my controls, but it works every time. (Yes, I repainted my shift lever and trigger to better match the instrument panel). The little shield at the base of the lever is from an F-car I used to own.

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: Impeller changed: Now won't fire up. Neutral Interlock issue?

... oops! Forgot to mention the most important part. I got the my motor started. In adding the new gauges and other upgrades to the boat, I also updated the safety features... I forgot to put the safety key back into my new Kill switch. I guess this is why, no matter how many time a pilot has flown a particular airplane, they always go through a check list before take off. The grey hairs tend to replace the memory cells.