1978 Mecury 700 will not go into gear.

[SPLMAXSAM]

Went fishing today and ran into a problem. I use a dual binnacle control to operate both Mercury 700 and a Mercury 9.9 kicker motor.

My 1978 Mercury 700 was running good. I would fished a little and would move to next spot. My problem started when I tried starting the 700 with the Neutral Lock and throttle in the up position. The motor started and hi revved. I quickly moved the throttle back to the neutral position. After that the motor starts and throttles up and down BUT will not go into gear.




I removed the boat from water and noticed the PROP free spins all the time (neutral or in gear). I also noticed I still had to put the dual binnacle shifter in gear to raise the motor for trailering.

QUESTION
Is there a SHEAR pin near the propeller or should I look somewhere else?

 

[SPLMAXSAM]

Re: 1978 Mecury 700 will not go into gear.

I visted the outboard again. I inspected the shifter and throttle cables and they appear to be working fine. I hand spun the propeller. It seems to be loose. I suspect the DISSCONNECT is in the top half of the motor. Any suggestions?