1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

[ba_50]

Hi,<br /><br />The gear shift lever moves back and forth 1/2" before going into gear. The prop goes out about 1/16". A mechanic said something might be lose in the gear case and to put synthetic lower unit oil in and run it till it quits, if it quits. There wasn't any ground metal in the old oil. <br /><br />Is there something wrong with it? Why would synthetic oil be better? Thanks. Bob

 

[two2canoe]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

I'm not real clear as to what the problem is. The gear shift moves 1/2" before engaging? Prop goes out 1/16"? What kind of mechanic looked at it? Running it till it breaks doesn't seem like very good advice. If there is something wrong, it'll just do more damage if you run it. You could get a manual and tear it down and find out what's wrong. Fix it right and run it forever. Not mechanically inclined? Find a good outboard mechanic and see what he says.

 

[ba_50]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

River,<br /><br />Yes, the lever moves 1/2" before engaging and the prop moves in or out 1/16" as the lever is moved.<br /><br />It feels more like something is worn at the lever to me, but just guessing. Bob

 

[medic2051]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

my '75 johnson has a good deal of movement prior to gear engagement. According to manual this is normal. Bottom line, get an OEM manual.

 

[two2canoe]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

Does the gear shift movement seem like it has increased recently or was it allways like this? My prop does not move in and out. There are thrust washers etc. in the gear box to keep the prop shaft in position. Was the lube milky looking when you drained it? Was the mechanic an experienced outboard mechanic? Try the library for a look at a manual that will show the insides of the gear case. The gears and bearings are not cheap, so if you plan on keeping the motor, you do not want to run it till something breaks. A "parts changer" would say wait till it breaks and then put on a rebuilt unit. A mechanic would want to determine what is wrong, if anything, and then repair it which is not that hard to do. I can't see any reason to use other than the recomended lube in it either way.

 

[ba_50]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

We always used a gear shift near the steering wheel and didn't notice the play till we took them off to store the motor.<br /><br />The oil was black and no sign of water.<br /><br />The manual doesn't say anthing about how much play is allowed. <br /><br />I believe it takes special tools to pull the gears out which I don't have. The mechanic does it for a living.<br /><br />It would probably be cheaper to find another lower unit and stick it on.<br /><br />Bob

 

[two2canoe]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

I suppose that it could be cheaper to find another unit and put it on depending on what your mechanic gives as an estimate to repair the one you have. No water in the oil is a good sign. It may just run fine the way it is for quite a while since it hasn't been giving you any trouble and you didn't notice a problem until you took it off to store it. In the meantime, you could be looking for a deal on a replacement unit and be ready if and when it does go wrong. Good luck.

 

[G DANE]

Re: 1979 35 johnson gear shift lever play

Hi ba_50<br /><br />If the prop moves 1/16" in and out when ingaging / disengaging forward, thats normal on a 35 thru hub - they all do. If you turn prop to a position where you can shift into gear without resistance ( dont do with remote shift !! ) the prop will jump a little when it engages. Shift lever play sounds normal too. Try to rotate prop a little by hand, when someone else shifts. If play is somewhat equal from neutral to forward and neutral to reverse, you should have no problem at all.