Gear/Shift Trouble

[BigWeakSauce]

1974 Mercruiser 165, removed outdrive (pre-alpha as some say) for bellows change and separated lower unit for water pump change. Put it all back together, had no crazy trouble getting the upper back into the engine but now that it’s all together the shifting is WAY out of whack. I pretty much can’t get the lever more than an inch into reverse, no trouble going into forward with the lever. When set at full forward gear, lever all the way down, prop spins freely. When pulling the lever back, the prop seems to engage into reverse about halfway before my lever hits neutral position. Seems almost as if my wide open throttle forward position is actual smack in the middle of neutral.

What did I do wrong and how do I fix it? And I just relubed the OD so I’m not thrilled about having to possibly take the lower back off.

 

[Bt Doctur]

drain the oil and drop the lower unit, turn the splined lower shaft fully clockwise while turning the prop ccw. this locked in F gear, lower upper unit making sure the upper brass shoes is in a straight line and drops onto the lower shaft easily. Verify shoe straight and prop locked CCW

 

[BigWeakSauce]

I’ll give that a whirl. In other words what you’re saying is to manually move the lower into forward, and reattach with the lever in forward... so they match this time... now that I’m thinking about it I feel like a real jabronie

 

[Rick Stephens]

Yes. Sounds like the lower shaft wasn't aligned right when you put the cases together. So yes, you need to rotate the lower shaft fully clockwise, verify the prop shaft will not turn counterclockwise. Then face the intermediate shift shaft straight fore and aft and marry the cases. Stop - check, is the shift shaft facing straight forward and is the pro shaft locked when turned CCW? Bolt back up.

Rick

 

[BigWeakSauce]

So follow up here... I put my shift lever forward, all the way down, manually set the lower unit in forward, reattached making sure everything was lined up. Now I can’t get into reverse and the prop only locks into forward when the lever is all the way down... I could manual turn the lower unit shift shaft between forward/reverse without any issue and it only takes about a half turn... Pulling that lever is an awful lot of travel for it to be unable to spin that lower unit shaft a half turn... What could be the cause and did I set it wrong if I need to have the lever all the way down to lock into forward?
this is dry shifting under no water load with engine off.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Listen to what was said. remove the drive, turn the brass shoe fully clockwise while turning the prop CCW till locked The brass shoe MUST be in a straight line at the 12:00 position No more ,no less If this is not the case you must split the unit, set the lower splinmed shaft in the correct position, lower upper and making sure the braass shoe is in a straight line with the prop locked in Fwd

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[BigWeakSauce]

That’s how have it installed right now. As soon as I lift the shift lever the prop goes free (as if in neutral) before actually reaching N on the shift lever. And even shifting to full R all the way down, the prop never locks.