Controls and gears please help??

[bobbymatthews]

I have a mercury 1982 90 hp six cylinder outboard.

I replaced my water pump and lubricated my controls. I also added a starter and solenoid and tested the engine in the parking lot with water mufflers. It ran great but I noticed that the propeller was moving. Well I put it in the water and sure enough it started in gear but at idle speed, so I took off and it ran really well. Then I noticed there was no reverse and that it still went forward in reverse. So no neutral and no reverse. After running for ten minutes it also started to slip out of gear when I accelerated so I limped home slowly in slow gear. The engine itself runs great, lots of power and running cool although I see no water coming out the pisser but lower.

Is there a way to adjust the controls/ gears? Could I have done something wrong with
when I replaced the water pump?

PLEASE HELP.:facepalm:

 

[kazek]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

is there any possibility that anything on control was moved (gear lever)while u had lover unit off?check lines if hooked up propery.check shift cable in engine comp.it should b midway sliding bar when in neutral.other thing u could do is to unhook shift cable in engine compartment with MOTOR OFF and push gear arm by hand.turn propeler by hand to see if it engages a gears properly.that should pin point where the problem is ,etc..good luck

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Bobby, It is quite likely that you got the lower shift shaft out of synch with the upper shift shaft, when you had the gearcase off. I will bet you had it in forward....

The cure is to drop the gearcase. Now set the motor contol to neutral. Now turn the lower shift shaft CCW until it clicks into neutral, and install the gearcase.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

And then determine why the "tell tale" is not showing a flow of water.

 

[bobbymatthews]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Bobby, It is quite likely that you got the lower shift shaft out of synch with the upper shift shaft, when you had the gearcase off. I will bet you had it in forward....

The cure is to drop the gearcase. Now set the motor contol to neutral. Now turn the lower shift shaft CCW until it clicks into neutral, and install the gearcase.

Thanks Chris!! This is what i found on another thread is it pretty much what your telling me?

"Someone may have recently replaced the water pump and was not careful reinstalling the lower unit, the shift shaft is either not plugged in or out of time.

The lower has to come off, rotate the short shift shaft on the lower until it 'clicks' into position. Turn the prop counter clockwise, if it turns the vert shaft it is in Reverse, if it rachets it is in Forward. Put the shift control into the same position and reinstall the lower, taking care to be sure the water transfer tube and the shift shaft engage correctly.

Test shifting before you head to the water, just to be sure."

CAN I DO THIS AT MY DOCK AS THE BOAT IS IN ABOUT 18 INCHES OF WATER. WILL I MESS UP ANYTHING IF WATER IS IN THE LOWER UNIT WHEN I REINSTALL IT?

 

[bobbymatthews]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

HOW DO i KNOW NEUTRAL? WHEN THE PROPELLER MOVES FREELY CLOCKWISE AND ANTI CLOCKWISE?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Reinstall the gearcase in neutral. It is the best(most foolproof) way. Neutral is when the propshaft turns freely in both directions.

 

[bobbymatthews]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

WORKED LIKE A CHARM! tHANKS!!!

 

[bobbymatthews]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

ENGINE RUNS VERY COOL SO WATER IS PUMPING through the engine. drove it for 10 minutes. I was very careful toput every thing back together right, especially water tube.could have something stuck in the pisser?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

The telltales clog up all the time.

 

[gjeka02]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Chris,
I have a Mariner 50 and I inadvertantly turned the sloped cam on the shift shaft while changing my water pump. I originallly had the motor shifted in forward when I disasembled it. I saw a You-tube video that said to reassemble in reverse. I reassembled and the motor would not shift. When you say turn the lower shift shaft, do you mean the sloped cam on the spline in my case? I will give your instructions to Bobby a try. Also, does the shift shaft rod just ride on the cam?

 

[444]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

You grab the shift shaft with pliers and turn it. The shift shaft is the small splined shaft sticking up out of the lower unit in front of the driveshaft.

 

[gjeka02]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

444,
I can't get the shift shaft to turn and I am afraid of damaging the spline. It feels sprign loaded in the CW direction and doesnt move in the CCW direction. THe drive shaft rotates CW as does the prop. How can I get the shift shaft to move?

 

[gjeka02]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

I mentioned this in another thread, I used an E12 reverse torx socket on my 3/8" outer diameter spline shaft and rotated the propeller CCW while it was in forward and the shif shaft moved easily into neutral. The reverse cam pointed forward at the high part of the slope. I moved the shifter to neutral and instal lthe lower unit. Works perfect. Thanks everyone.

 

[Maxz695]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Thanks for that confirmation

 

[bobbymatthews]

Re: Controls and gears please help??

Neutral is always the best, prop goes in both directions.