Hey all!
I have a question about the shift rod for a 1999 50hrp Johnson. I am a newbie at working on outboard engines and I think I made a rookie mistake and I am not sure what angle I should take.
I was needing to replace my water pump and in my hast I removed the shift lever screw rather than the shift rod screw when I was dropping the lower unit. Needless to say, I figured out that I goofed and I removed the shift rod screw, got the lower unit off and replaced the water pump.
My problem occurred when I when I went to put the lower unit back on and the holes for the shift lever screw were not lining up and I noticed that the prop would not spin freely like it does when it is in neutral. In fact the prop has limited play until it hits the drive shaft whether you spin the prop clockwise or counter clockwise.
I am guessing that when I removed the shift lever screw and tried to take the lower unit off, I got the gears stuck between forward and reverse and the shift cradle is stuck halfway out from when the weight of the lower unit pulled down on it.
I read the manual on removing and re installing the shift rod and when I briefly attempted to pull the shift rod out, it seemed that a lot of force would be needed to remove the rod and I didnt want to force it before I got some guidance.
Do you all think I should attempt to pull the rod off and put it back on to see if I can get the gears back into neutral or should I try and push the rod back down to see if the shift cradle needs to be put back in place? Also, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to use to pull or push the shift rod assembly on to the shaft? Or am I totally on the wrong track?
Thanks
-Mike
I have a question about the shift rod for a 1999 50hrp Johnson. I am a newbie at working on outboard engines and I think I made a rookie mistake and I am not sure what angle I should take.
I was needing to replace my water pump and in my hast I removed the shift lever screw rather than the shift rod screw when I was dropping the lower unit. Needless to say, I figured out that I goofed and I removed the shift rod screw, got the lower unit off and replaced the water pump.
My problem occurred when I when I went to put the lower unit back on and the holes for the shift lever screw were not lining up and I noticed that the prop would not spin freely like it does when it is in neutral. In fact the prop has limited play until it hits the drive shaft whether you spin the prop clockwise or counter clockwise.
I am guessing that when I removed the shift lever screw and tried to take the lower unit off, I got the gears stuck between forward and reverse and the shift cradle is stuck halfway out from when the weight of the lower unit pulled down on it.
I read the manual on removing and re installing the shift rod and when I briefly attempted to pull the shift rod out, it seemed that a lot of force would be needed to remove the rod and I didnt want to force it before I got some guidance.
Do you all think I should attempt to pull the rod off and put it back on to see if I can get the gears back into neutral or should I try and push the rod back down to see if the shift cradle needs to be put back in place? Also, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to use to pull or push the shift rod assembly on to the shaft? Or am I totally on the wrong track?
Thanks
-Mike