Need help shifting into forward. 9.9 hp

[Homeseller]

Your folks have been great helping me with my boat. I swear to ya that I would take the thing in if the Boat Repair Shops were not backed up three weeks.<br /><br />I found water in my lower end. 9.9 hp Merc. Ser.# OA921756.<br /><br />I bought a new carrier Assem. Bearing and went to install it. I can get the gears to hook up in reverse, I can get nutral, but forward gear does not want to lock in. I just get a click when I turn the prop shaft.<br /><br />The only other thing I did was I went to remove to lower unit to check the water pump. I could only get it down about half of an inch so I put it back together and figured I would have the shop tackle it this winter.<br /><br />When I put the shift lever in reverse I can see the shilt shaft come down. In nutral the shift shaft goes up. In forward the shift shaft does not come down. Should it go down in engadge forward gear?<br /><br />Is there some trick I do not know about when installing the carrier bearing assm?<br /><br />Thanks for any help.