'76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

[AFlowers]

This past weekend I replaced the water pump on my 76 Evinrude. Now I cannot get the linkage aligned right to allow it to go into forward gear.

What I have tried: Searched the Top Secret Files, Disconnected cables and made sure the lever was in the neutral position as well as the lower linkage rod. I have also tried this with reverse as well as forward.

I am not sure what I may have done. Maybe I damaged the upper half of the rod somehow? Any help/advice will be appreciated but I HAVE ALREADY SEARCHED AND READ THE TOP SECRET FILES.

I have a break between Summer semester and fall coming up next week and want to get some fishing in.

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Remove that side plate from the long exhaust housing and check the brass shift connector alignment.

It sounds like you don't have the shift rod grooves perfectly aligned with the brass shift connector bolt holes.

 

[AFlowers]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Right on. From what I could tell they were but I have now got the bottom threads boogered up so I'll see what happens when I get the new connector.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Right on. From what I could tell they were but I have now got the bottom threads boogered up so I'll see what happens when I get the new connector.

You could always re-tap it to 1/4x20 and use a short 1/4x20 bolt.

 

[AFlowers]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Well, I had the parts ordered but cancelled it today. I placed the order on Friday and they didn't estimate it to be shipped until tomorrow. That is ridiculous. Can any of you recommend a parts distributor that actually has the parts? ********** is a bootleg operation.

 

[AFlowers]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Update: New coupling put on the linkage and the thing just isn't operating. I's almost like the linkage is too long now. I just can't seem to figure out what's wrong with this thing.

Also. somehow I have lost all fire to the coils. They're both brand new.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Do you have the grooved portion of both the top and bottom shift rod lined up with the bolt holes in the brass shift connector?

When removing the lower unit on that model, it is normal to just remove the bottom bolt from from that brass shift connector, then when reinstalling, simply have the groove of the bottom shift rod lined up with the bottom hole in the brass shift connector and tighten it. If it shifted properly previously, it would be impossible for the shift linkage to change.

Did you take anything else apart, dismantle anything, removed the philips screw from the lower unit skeg, whatever?

 

[AFlowers]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

Thanks for the reply. The grooved portions of both top and bottom portions are lining up.

I didn't remove anything else except the water pump housing.

When putting together, I try to ease it into place so that i don't accidentally move one of the linkages. It's acting as if one of them is too long now. I had to have done something to mess it up. I just can't think of what I could have done.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

If the engine shifted properly before you removed the lower unit, and you (or nobody else) did nothing except replace the water pump, the unit should shift as it did previously.

You do not need to ease the lower unit back into place when installing. After making sure that the brass connector is attached properly to the top shift rod (rod groove aligned with connector hole and tightened), simply put the gearshift into forward and shove the lower unit up where it belongs and install the retaining bolts.

Now, with long nose pliers, a screwdriver for leverage if needed, bring up the lower shift rod or lower the top shift rod (or both) while using the long nose pliers to align the bottom shift rod up into the brass shift connector so that its groove aligns with the connector's bolt hole... that's it.

I can't imagine what you have encountered unless you're trying to shift with remote controls and they're not adjusted properly. If this is the case, disconnect the shift cable from the engine and see if the engine shifts okay via the engine's shift linkage.

 

[ronward]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

+1 on Joe Reeves post. Just did the same thing on my '77 Evinrude 25. I did it exactly as he described to you. It takes all of 5 or 10 minutes to do it. There's nothing else in there to cause a problem.

 

[AFlowers]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

O.k. gentlemen, it is working.

I think what happened was when I initially took it apart to replace the water pump, I pried downward on the foot, (not to hard though) with a screw driver. In essence, I stretched the bottom linkage rod. It has a c shaped jog in it inside the housing. I put more of a bend back into it and it works perfectly. LESSON LEARNED - Do not pry downward on the foot!! I have a new one on order just in-case I compromised the integrity of the steel.

Now, I have to get the fire issue worked out.

Thanks

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '76 25hp 'Rude - Replaced Water pump now can't engage forward gear.

O.k. gentlemen, it is working. I think what happened was when I initially took it apart to replace the water pump, I pried downward on the foot with a screw driver. In essence, I stretched the bottom linkage rod. It has a c shaped jog in it inside the housing.

It sounds like the engine was at one time a long shaft model and someone converted it to a short shaft model. If this is the case, the normal procedure is to either replace the lower unit shift rod with the shorter one OR to cut the rod exactly five (5) inches, then file a new groove in the rod where the bolt would pass thru.

I take it that you are saying that someone has actually bent the long shift rod at some point in its length to resemble a "C" in order to shorten it? If so, and if it was a mechanic that did that, I suggest you avoid him in the future.