I am new to this site and am very impressed with the advice that has been shared. I have a 35hp merc outboard that I believe is from the late 1960s that I am just beginning to restore -- the engine does not have controls attached and will not shift out of gear. The prop turns when the starter rope is pulled so I know the engine is not frozen. I can turn the shift shaft by hand, however the engine will not shift out of gear. The motor clicks when the prop is rotated clockwise and locks when rotated counterclockwise. I have read on other posts that the lower unit may be out of sync with the engine. The last owner said he had rebuilt the lower unit and it may have been reinstalled incorrectly. Without controls I am unsure of the procedure to pull the lower unit and reinstall correctly as has been noted on other posts with this problem. I would like to see if the engine will fire up before I spend too much time and $ bringing it back to life. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thank you.
