Evinrude 40 Propshaft Detente balls

[Lark40]

Last night, I was working on replacing the gears on my 1960 Lark with a new gearset from a 1972 model. Everything looked identical, but I could not move the shift dog. Finally tapped it with a small hammer, and as it moved, some things sprung out of the propshaft and were lost. <br /><br />Found a manual that showed a hole in the propshaft with a spring and two ball bearings. The bearings were described as a "shift detente". I guess they were there to provide pressure to keep the dog in place. <br /><br />I don't have this on my other propshafts, and manual states that only some models had these detentes.<br /><br />My question is - do I need to buy another spring and ball bearings, or can I just resassemble without them? Seems that they would make shifting harder....

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Evinrude 40 Propshaft Detente balls

And now you know that the manual pertains to disasembly as well as re-assembly. Purchase the spring and the balls. They're there for a reason.<br /><br />Or think of the most unlikely spot in your shop those items could fly to.... and go pick them up.<br /><br />I could drop something in the middle of the shop, whatever it was would end up 27' away, under a cubbie hole in the middle of a 24' long work bench, up against the wall, dead center behind a 1" brace.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Evinrude 40 Propshaft Detente balls

There is that tap that I haven't found 2 years since I dropped it...<br />My 1962 OMC 28 (RX-10) had a drilled shaft but no bearings or spring. I just found a spring and balls that fit (~ 1/4") and seemed to hold the clutch dog firmly. My parts motor, a 1963 RX-11, oddly did not have the drilled shaft. I suspect we may have replacment propshafts.

 

[bhalsdorf]

Re: Evinrude 40 Propshaft Detente balls

Joe,<br />You have one of those spots in your shop too? Most of the stuff I drop ends up under the bench behind all the stuff I crammed under there to make room. Never could figure out how they get behind that stuff tho.....LOL