81 merc help!!

[81 - 140 guy]

I have an 81 140hp in line six. Runs like a scalded dog usually. Just replaced the water pump (old one was fried!) and now motor is stuck in forward gear. I know this was likley to happen (it did once before at a camp ground in FL-fortunately the guy camping next to me was a merc mechanic and helped me align the shifter shaft and it ran great till this season). I cannot remember how to properly align the splined shaft and insure the motor is in neutral when the lower unit is put back up into place. Should I lower the unit again and put the shift lever in forward? Or rotate the shift-shaft to neutral before I put the lower unit back in place? If the later, how do I tell if I'm in neutral before tightening the bolts? Any help here will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Droll]

Re: 81 merc help!!

Easiest fix for you would be to lower the lower unit and put shift lever AND lower unit into neutral, and the put it all together...

When rotating the shift shaft on the lower unit you can feel when it's i neutral ( notch in shift cam ) + you can rotate the propeller shaft bout ways ....

Try NOT to rotate the drive shaft during this proses, makes the assembly a bit easier.

If you can get someone to assist ( rotate flywheel IF necessary ) when you put the LU back it would be helpful.


Arne Kjetil

 

[81 - 140 guy]

Re: 81 merc help!!

Thanks! I should have realised the first time I reassembled that there was a problem as the prop would only freely turn in one direction!:redface:

 

[Droll]

Re: 81 merc help!!

Whole operation should not take longer than 15 min, and if it's any comfort.. you're not the first OR last one to learn this lesson


Arne Kjetil

 

[81 - 140 guy]

Re: 81 merc help!!

Whole operation should not take longer than 15 min, and if it's any comfort.. you're not the first OR last one to learn this lesson


Arne Kjetil

Thanks for the help Arne!It was @ 15 min and went well. Put the boat in the water yesterday and it ran great! Found out that the splinned shift shaft actually rotated on it's own ever time it came free from it's corresponding shaft. I could place it in the "neutral" position, but it would rotate back into "forward" every time I let go of it. Solved the problem by lightly griping it with a pair of needlenose vise grips to hold it in "neutral", and then was able to install the lower unit into the upper - had to align the two parts of the shift shafts with a screwdriver (as a small lever), but the job was pretty easy.

Thanks again!
Dave