Merc 50 bitsa won't engage forward properly

[Nos4r2]

I've got a mercury 50 blueband here built out of 2 engines.<br />It's the leg and L/U of a 1973 and the powerhead from an 84ish coil ignited engine.<br />I've just changed the impeller and changed the gearchange shaft back to the '73 one from as there was a crack in the 84 shift lever ally casting-now I can't get it to go move far enough to get it into forward gear-it hits on the lower floatbowl before it drops into gear.<br /><br />Is it OK to put a bit of an extra bend into the actuating rod between the shift shaft and the slider on the side of the powerhead or do I need to get another 84 shift shaft with the lever on top?

 

[Laddies]

Re: Merc 50 bitsa won't engage forward properly

Probably not recommended, but it won't be the first