Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

[Rhadley]

Have a 1984 alpha I. Dropped lower unit to change impeller. Trying to re-attach, but drive shaft spline needs to rotate a bit. I turn the shift shaft, but no matter where it is turned, the drive shaft won't rotate. Prop turns freely, as if in neutral. I thought I should be able to turn the drive shaft by turning the prop.<br /><br />Also, manual says to rotate shift shaft counter-clockwise to put it into forward, but it seems to me it should be clockwise.

 

[searay3]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

Manual is correct. If you turn clockwise it will just ratchet. Turn the shift shaft straight ahead while putting pressure on the prop counterclockwise and the shaft will turn. I have a 1986, and I think it's the same.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

Joining lower gear to upper- Turn the shift shaft clockwise ,and the prop. ccw to get them to mate.This is foreward. Make sure the shift shaft lever is facing foreward. Don't forget the washer that sits on top of the shift shaft before you put them together....JK

 

[Bondo]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

Ayuh,........<br />On the shift-shaft,.....<br />Counterclockwise is Reverse,......Clockwise is Forward,........<br />

I thought I should be able to turn the drive shaft by turning the prop.

You've got 2 things working against you,......<br /><br />1 is that you're turning it Thru the gear ratio,.....Backwards......<br /><br />The other thing is that your New Impeller is going to turn Real Hard,..... Lots of resistence...<br /><br />1 more Tip,........<br /><br />Wrap a Bungee Strap from the Cav-plate, Around the Propshaft several times, Back to the other side of the Cav-plate,..............<br />Rotate the Propshaft counterclockwise, Shift the Shiftshaft Clockwise(Forward),+ Let Go of the Propshaft,............<br />It's now Locked in Forward,..... From the pressure provided by the bungee strap.......<br /><br />Good Luck..............

 

[Rhadley]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

I found that I can get the drive shaft to turn if I turn it harder! OK.<br /><br />I do not see where a washer can fit on top of the lower unit shift shaft--it is a spline. Are you sure there is a washer there, Kopec?<br /><br />I see 1 vote for clockwise, 1 for CCW. I am talking about the lower unit shift shaft, looking down at it. If I look at the upper unit shift shaft while someone pushes the control lever into FWD position, it rotates in a way that makes the bottom shaft go CW. <br /><br />Searay, I think you are talking about the upper shift shaft--lower one has no arm to face forward, it is just a shaft.

 

[Don S]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

The best thing you could do is go to the link below and read the manual. Learn how the system works and why then this CW and CCW stuff is a waste of time.<br /><br /> http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf <br /><br />What you need to do is put the shift lever in forward. Then put the shift shaft facing forward while turning the prop CCW so the shift dogs engage and allow the shift shaft to face forward. When the shift shaft faces full forward and the upper shift shaft is in the forward position, then you can put the drive on and they will slip together, if one of them is not in the forward position you are going to bend something if you force the drive on, because the drive will not go on all the way unless they are both in the full forward position.

 

[elpaso]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

Go with Bondo and Don. Ignore the newbe's.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

The washer that sits on top,(goes over the lower shift shaft), (more explicit) sorry! ....is the one that prevents the shift lever from having excessive up & down play....If you don't put it on you will be able to shift once and then the shift shaft lever will dis-engage from the shift shaft coupler...I only mentioned it because it can be easily over looked if you haven't had your upper & lower cases apart before...When you said that you dropped the lower unit I assumed that you were talking about the lower gear case and not the entire out-drive...For a newbie like me, you still have to turn the shift shaft clock-wise while turning the propeller counter counter-clockwise to get the lower gear case to engage in foreward...Hope this helps....JK

 

[Rhadley]

Re: Lower Unit off--shouldn't shaft turn?

I read the manual-thanks for the link, Don. It says rotate lower unit shift shaft CW, which makes sense to me also. (my manual is wrong) <br /><br />I am ready to do it.