Re: popping out of gear 58 johnson 35hp
I think ytou have a worn clutch dog. The abrupt "bang"ing manner in which the gears disengage is classic symptom of a worn clutch dog. It's a fairly common problem. However, you will have to open the gear case to change the part. It's not terribly difficult, but go slow if it's your first time. New/replacement dogs usually cost between $50-$70 depending on the exact model. The online, exploded diagram manuals at marineengines.com are really good and may be all you need. Essentially, you need to drop the lower unit by removeing the 4-5 bolts taht hold the lower unit to the exhaust housing, as well as disconnecting the shift rod connector. Once the LU is dropped out you'll need to flip it over and remove the 6 bolts that hold the lower half of the gear case to the upper half. It's sort of a clam shell arrangement. Once the lower half of the gear case is off you'll see the gears and clutch dog which slides between them when the shift rod is raised or lowered. That should get you started. Report back and let us know what you find. There are lots of threads with pics of worn clutch dogs which you can use as a reference. You search terms like "worn clutch dog" and you'll find lots of threads. You may not find one for your exact make and model, but the beauty of these old gems is that they were virtually unchanged for years and have lots of available and interchangeable parts. Keep us posted.
