Can't slide the remote into forward gear.

[craig newton]

1996 Sterndrive 4.3lx 6cyl. 4 barrel carb with Thunderbolt ignition. Alpha one Gen two.

Had this out a few weeks ago and it shifted and ran fine but was dieseling when I shut it off. I set the timing, idle and changed plugs. Next I was told to change the impeller. I had the two bolts above the prop pulled out, the four main bolts loosened and almost had the nut by the shift shaft all the way off when I realized I hadn't set the remote in forward. So I got in the boat and tried putting it into forward. I couldn't move it more than an inch. The assembly next to the carb starts to move but then stops. If I hold the nuetral button in I can push the remote all the way easily. I ended up dropping the lower with the remote in neutral. Put it on a stand and turned the drive shaft and prop and manually shifted it in and out of gear without a problem. But the remote is still stuck in neutral. Doing what I just described is there something I could have done to cause the shifting problem I'm having?

 

[Bondo]

But the remote is still stuck in neutral. Doing what I just described is there something I could have done to cause the shifting problem I'm having?

Ayuh,.... No, it shouldn't matter,....
So the upper is still on the boat,..??
Have you inspected where the upper, 'n lower join together to see everything is free to move,..??

 

[kenny nunez]

2 Xs with Bondo. Somehow the shift slider is bound up with the lever. Try to support the lower in a Workmate or between 2 saw horses.
Then remove the upper housing and straighten out the shift linkage. After the water pump is serviced then carefully lower the upper housing to the lower making sure the shift splines line up before tightening them all the way by moving the shift lever back and forth making sure the gears lock in both directions. The bronze lever must face forward for forward gear.
if your drive is a Alpha 1 be sure that the large rubber sealing ring is glued in place in the bell housing and allowed to dry before trying to re install the drive.
A genuine Mercruiser service manual will be a real help for this job.