Shift shaft bushings

[Mad Props]

Is the bottom bushing on the upper shift shaft (shift shaft in the gimbal housing) supposed to fit loosely on the shaft?? I've noticed mine kinda wobbles around in the bottom bushing, but I recall seeing somewhere before that they had replaced theirs and it was still wobbly like it supposed to be that way??

Can anyone confirm this? I was thinking of replacing mine because it felt sloppy, but obviously not going to if its supposed to be this way... Not sure why it be that way on purpose unless its to take up the tolerance variations between the drive shaft and gear case housings...

 

[nola mike]

I'm about to pull my drive, I'll check mine. Though my lower is original...

 

[Mad Props]

Thanks Mike... I was inspecting my drive and noticed there was some oil around the speedo connector and shift shaft knuckle... It had the same color as drive lube but I pressure tested my drive last year and it held pressure fine so I was hesitant to think its leaking (not saying its impossible...I understand a drive doesn't leak, and then it does, so I'm going to pressure test again but there was no water in the drive lube when I drained it)...

All this so say, I was thinking it may have been coming from the seal housing that sits in front of the impeller when you split the drive... Again, no water in drive lube... I was thinking I might replace the seal housing, but figured at the same time I might look at the aforementioned bushing in the drive housing but if this wobble is normal, not gonna bother.

 

[nola mike]

Thanks Mike... I was inspecting my drive and noticed there was some oil around the speedo connector and shift shaft knuckle... It had the same color as drive lube but I pressure tested my drive last year and it held pressure fine so I was hesitant to think its leaking (not saying its impossible...I understand a drive doesn't leak, and then it does, so I'm going to pressure test again but there was no water in the drive lube when I drained it)...

All this so say, I was thinking it may have been coming from the seal housing that sits in front of the impeller when you split the drive... Again, no water in drive lube... I was thinking I might replace the seal housing, but figured at the same time I might look at the aforementioned bushing in the drive housing but if this wobble is normal, not gonna bother.

No play in my lower shift bushing...gen 1

 

[Mad Props]

Hmmm... Maybe its a gen 2 thing?? Every video I can find on youtube shows play in the lower bushing... Its not something that moves a ton so I really can't see it wearing that excessively, but it just seems weird to be that loose by design...

 

[76SeaRay]

I haven't verified this yet but I watched an upper unit rebuild video where the guy said that the intermediate shift shaft bushing can cause binding in the shift shaft and that Mercruiser stopped putting it in because of the binding potential.

Oh, just re-read the post and it said the upper shaft in the gimbal housing. The video was talking about the one in the upper housing.

 

[Scott06]

Hmmm... Maybe its a gen 2 thing?? Every video I can find on youtube shows play in the lower bushing... Its not something that moves a ton so I really can't see it wearing that excessively, but it just seems weird to be that loose by design...

Very little play in my gen two last time i had it off.there is a bushing and seal kit for there. Bottom doesn’t really matter too much but upper can leak water into bellows and shift slider area

 

[Mad Props]

Yea.. the upper bushing and seal are good on mine, its just that lower sucker... I'll probably just hold off and revisit this in the fall when I take the drive off to winterize... doesn't appear to be causing an issue. I was just curious if its supposed to be this way...