Re: older evinrude control box?what the heck!
The center part that you are refering to is called a "Casing Guide Insert." Push on it with your thumb until it pops out. If it won't move in one direction, push it in the other direction. The inserts are snug, but they do come out. Once you remove the insert, you can reverse the direction of the other piece, which is called a "Casing Guide."
BTW, your control unit is one of the pre-1979 items, which requires OMC Type 400 cables. Don't confuse these with the later Type 479 cables, which have press-fit ends rather than the set screw type ends. You must order the correct cables for your unit and you can't swap the Casing Guides out of a later control box, unless you switch the shift/throttle handles too. This is because the Casing Guide inserts are different in size for each type, resulting in different size holes in the shift/throttle handles.
