Trouble connecting shift shaft

[Matthieub76]

Good day,
I have a 1986 Mariner 20 hp. I had to remove the lower unit to do some work which was done without too much problem.
I had to remove the starter to be able to reach the shift shaft and disconnect it. Now I'm trying to put that little metal pin back in to reconnect the shift shaft but for some reason it just will not go back in...

Anyone here has a trick???

Here are a few pictures...




Thanks in advance!

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: Trouble connecting shift shaft

Try undoing the cable to the gearcase lever so you can move the lever a little bit to align the holes up better

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Trouble connecting shift shaft

Concur with Bosunsmate suggestion. For future LU work, take a look and see if there is a coupling on the shift shaft about half way down to the gear case. There'd be an access hole in the drive shaft housing. My 1982 30 HP, which is Japanese made, is set up this way. Would save some trouble for future LU work.

 

[Matthieub76]

Re: Trouble connecting shift shaft

The problem is that the shift shaft is a one piece rod from the lower unit up. So I don't see any other way to disconnect it to remove the lower unit.

Try undoing the cable to the gearcase lever so you can move the lever a little bit to align the holes up better

I see what you mean but the metal pin won't even get back into the hole of the bracket showed in picture #2...

oddly enough the same metal pin that came out won't go back in.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Trouble connecting shift shaft

The problem is that the shift shaft is a one piece rod from the lower unit up. So I don't see any other way to disconnect it to remove the lower unit.

Ah. OK. Mine has a coupling at the mid-point. Makes dropping the LU a little easier, as long as the coupling isn't frozen.

 

[Matthieub76]

Re: Trouble connecting shift shaft

Finally got it in... I decided to take the bottom cowl off and BINGO! I wish it could have been done more easily but that's the way it is!
Thanks for help,