Binding in reverse

[Jcrain]

Ok, I Love my boat motor but the honeymoon is about over. Chrysler 45, 76 model. Been sitting up awhile (Bout a year) due to ignition, fuel, money problems. Didn't have a set of muffs so I removed the lower unit and put a garden hose directly on the water tube that fits into the water pump while I atemted to get the rascle running. I got it to the point of putting it in the lake so I installed the lower unit on it. I checked to make sure I had foward, nuetral and reverse {ie put it in gear, and turn flywheel by hand) in each position. All seemd to be right. I n the lake, I have Forward, NO nuetral, and a very slipping reverse I hauled her back home, and checked around on her and found that as you go from forward to reverse, no nuetral, instread, while turning by hand, as she goes into reverse, the force to turn flywheel more than triples as prop changes directions. I decided, "screw the impeller" anf ired it up, it run good in forward and as I pulled it back into reverse, it died. I bypassed the nuetral switch ant she barly turns over in reverse, but in foward, I just have to tap the key and it starts. Any ideas? Oh, before I stored it a year ago, the LU worked great, it was the engine giving me fits.

 

[scotiany]

Re: Binding in reverse

I'd take the LU off and split the upper and lower halves. You may have a bad pivot pin. Or, it could be something worse. But first, I'd disconnect the coupler nut and see how it shifts without the linkage to the boat attached.

 

[Jcrain]

Re: Binding in reverse

What's a "pivot pin"?

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Binding in reverse

Pivot pin is inside the very lower part of the lower unit. You have to remove the upper and lower unit to to get at this. You may just have the shift nut misadjusted. The lower unit I got on ebay is a lot touchier then my old one when adjusting it. Sometimes when you adjust neutral then shift you loose neutral. Here is what I would do.<br /><br />Remove the lower unit and do as scotiany suggests. manually shift the lower unit by pulling up or pushing down on shift linkage while turning the drive shaft clock wise. It is easier to do this with the water pump removed. If you can do this and find forward and reverse and neutral the shift pin is probably working. Once you verify that the lower unit shifts reinstall the water pump, impeller and impeller key. Put shift linkage through hole in motor leg and thread the long nut on the linkage to the lower unit. Verify a small nut is on the upper linkage going to the powerhead. Turn the adjustment nut (about 1 1/2 inch nut with reverse threads on one side) all the way down on the linkage to the lower unit. Verify that the water tube is lined up and raise the lower unit and start spinning the adjustment nut onto the upper linkage. If lower unit will not go all the way up you may need to turn the flywheel a bit clockwise or the prop clockwise in order to line up the splines on the driveshaftt and the powerhead. Keep turning the linkage adjustment nut till you are able to attach the four nuts with lock washers to the lower unit and the motor leg. Place shifter in neutral and adjust adjustment nut while turning prop with your finger to determine where center is for neutral. Have someone slowly adjust shifter to forward position while turning prop till you feel it start to lock. Make a note where this position is on the shifter. Slowly go to reverse and turn prop by hand till it starts to lock up. Neutral should be centered between these two positions. If not you will need to make slight adjustments to fine tune. When adjustment is made tighten small washer against the adjustment nut. Now go from neutral to forward fast then to reverse. Then shift it back to neutral and verify that prop spins freely with finger with no rattling noises.<br /><br />The pivot pin is a small taper pin in the lower unit that moves the clutch forward or reverse to engage the gears or goes in between the two to put the motor in neutral. To get at this pin you have to completly dis assemble the lower unit to get at it. On the forward part of the lower unit there is a screw that holds the pivot pin in place. Did you remove this screw? If so that could be your problem. I have posted a picture here of the pivot screw. Good luck<br />

 

[Jcrain]

Re: Binding in reverse

OHHHHH SH******T! Uhhh yep, I removed the screw. or, a neighbor did. He was checking the condition of the LU lube.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Binding in reverse

From what you describe as your problem I am guessing you will have to dissasmble the lower unit to connect the shifter back up to the pivot screw. You will need a seal kit and a service manual to do this. The seal kit does not come with the gasket that goes between the lower and upper halves. When you take this apart post back here and I can maybe mail you one. I make copies of this gasket from an original one I have . Good luck

 

[Jcrain]

Re: Binding in reverse

Thanks, Euro. I'm thinking that it'll be a while before I start that project. I't still warm enough to go boating here in TX till late Nov and I have a 20 ft Bass Buggy that I just got so I'll be out on it in the near future. THis Chrysler 45 is a hobby sort of. I got a 76 14 ft chrysler sportster that had a 70 horse chrysler on it but it went to the bottom of the lake a few years ago. I finally fished up the boat but the 70 was a basket case.(ie MAJOR parts drug off from the rocks). I got the 45 from a lady whose husband had passed away and it had set got quite awhile. Also in my stable is a 16 Glastron with 90 horse 'Rude on it. So, when it freezes here, I'll start back on the 45.

 

[scotiany]

Re: Binding in reverse

We can go boating here in upstate NY in November too. As long as we have a snowmobile suit. Make sure you grease up the pivot coupler before you put it back into LU. It's the only way I've found that it will stay in place. Like eurolarva says, it's an ideal time to change the LU seals also.