Let's understand this. You dropped the LU and did a water pump repair which has nothing to do with your shifting mechanism in your lower unit other than getting the shift lever on the remote and the shifter splined shaft of the LU (the stubby little ⅜" diameter splined shaft sticking up in the front of the LU), in the same position, like N to N so that when you slide the lower unit back into the mid section your shift mechanism will do what the remote tells it to do.
Then it appears that you tore into the gearbox, removed the prop, bearing carrier, prop shaft with it's shift dog and components and R gear and are comparing the rear of the F gear to the front of the R gear. Is that where we are?
If so, the F gear is made to ratchet upon deceleration so it looks like a saw blade as does the front of the shift dog, riding on the prop shaft. The R gear doesn't have to ratched due to the low speeds occurring in R gear so it is straight cogs and holes, having 3 sets on older engines and 6 sets on newer as does the rear of the shift dog riding on the prop shaft.
Now. What's your question?
