DAM!

[scatgo]

Spent a good 8 hours putting my out drive together yesterday and it dont look good. When I was given the boat, a 1980 wellcraft with a 305 GM in it the out drive was all apart because the driveshaft was broken where it entered the out drive. After getting things together I noticied
that when I turned the drive shaft by hand it would pop out of gear. When I hold the shifter with force to try to keep it in gear it still wants to come out of gear. What could be wrong?

Thanks

 

[NHGuy]

When you turn the input shaft clockwise as you face the drive, hold the shift linkage in a clockwise direction till it stops, that's forward gear. As long as the gears stay clockwise loaded the drive will stay in forward. The moment you allow any CCW direction it will pop out to neutral.
If you changed the input shaft that goes into the upper drive there are shims and torque values to be done.
If you had a drive in a "basket" and asembled it without a manual or the shimming tools there is a good possibility it's not right.