Re: Trouble getting lower unit back on
If it doesn't go easy, don't force it.
I have a 63 and spent hours and hours with this problem. The problem is the shifter shaft, or the drive shaft. This is from my old post (
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1736741#post1736741).
Put both the motor and lower leg in Neutral. The lower leg will stay in Neutral, and have to 'click' out of Neutral when its in the right position. Turning the lower legs shift shaft clockwise, should put it in Forward, & vice versa. You might want to check your own linkage though.
Now, the problems I had started when I tried to fit the leg back up. I take the spring off the motors 'tilt lock' so I can swing up the lever, and put the top 'cam' up in the upper leg before I start. I put the lower cam on the lower leg, which I can't remember how I figured out its proper position, but I do know that its much easier with the 2 peices on both ends of the leg.
First, You put the drive-shaft up and in to its hole (spline) that you can't see. You have to make sure the 'tail-fin' bolt goes through the hole, next. Then start pushing the leg up.
If the leg hits something before you can thread a bolt on, you'll have to turn the fly wheel a wee bit (clockwise). Let the leg out a bit so it lets the fly wheel turn the inner splines, turn the fly wheel with your right hand up through near the top plug, at the back of the motor, while holding on to the leg with your left.
Try to jiggle/jostle/shake the lower leg while trying to push it up after every nudge of the fly-wheel.
That should get the drive-shaft completely in to its spline, and it should move up enough to put the 2 Up-most/highest nuts on just a few turns. Make sure their both on, before you start to tighten it up. Also make sure your water hose/tube fit in to the impeller housing, earlier.
Now, chances are the shifter shaft hasn't fit in to its upper spline. So I turn the rear-most nut/screw/thingy at the very end of the shift linkage. You turn it 90 degrees and it will pull out, allowing you to move the shift linkage (motor side) with your hand. Just wiggle it, don't move it back and forth very far. I never heard a click, or could tell it finally fit in, other then when you push the leg up, or tighten the bolts, it was more difficult then it should be.
You should be able to shove the leg all the way up, but its not easy even when everything is aligned, so you can tighten the nuts to bring the two halves together (unless you like hernias), but make sure it comes together fairly easy. For example, if you forget to put the tail-fin bolt through its hole, it can sit ****-eyed and you could warp or crack the leg if you tried to tighten the leg together with it like that. Crack that lower leg housing, and you may as well start looking for a new motor, I'd bet.
