1989 Mercruiser Alpha 1 3.0 - Engine not running yet - transmission not shifting

[89 Sea Sprite]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. My father happens to be in the hospital. Boats are not too terribly important at the moment. However, to answer the question, once the lower unit of the outdrive is removed the shift shaft and the shift shaft coupler are surprisingly easy to access. The good folks on this site were very helpful and except for some oxidation around the studs that hold on the lower unit the project was very simple. I would not hesitate to do it again. Boat has been in the water and running like a top for the past three seasons.