Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

bnt5

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Dec 12, 2004
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just replaced lower unit seals in my Merc 1987 70 hp outboard and back together it clicks when going into forward and reverse using the throttle. I know I messed around with the shift cam position when I was replacing seals and stuff so I am sure it is out of whack. When looking into the prop shaft gears with the prop shaft out I can turn the shift rod and make the shift cam spin, however I am not sure what indentation the "pointed bearing " goes into to make the motor shift smoothly. Please help I would like to go fishing tomorrow! :) (OB207366)


Thanks
Bill
 

green4themoney

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Jul 21, 2004
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318
Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

im assuming the high side is reverse seeing as the reverse gear is farthest from the shift cam (closest to the prop) hope this helps
 

green4themoney

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Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

where on the shift cam is "pointed bearing?"
 

bnt5

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Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11
Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

the needle bearing is at the very end of the prop shaft where it comes into contact with the shift cam. The shift shaft turns the shift cam thereby pushing the prop shaft allowing different sets of gears to come into contact with each other producing forward and reverse. Right now my outboard does not shift right so I am assuming that the shift cam is turned incorrectly and the needle bearing is hitting the wrong spot on the cam. hope that makes sense.
 

green4themoney

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Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

yeah i know how the shifting mechanism works, the cam actualy operates the clutch dog which slides between forward and reverse gears to engage either or it seats itself in the middle and engages neither for neutral, now as for cam position, i have verified that the high ramp of the shift cam is reverse, so shift your outboard in reverse, drop the lower unit do NOT touch the shift shaft and re assemble the shift cam with the HIGH side lined up with the shift cam follower
 

green4themoney

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Jul 21, 2004
Messages
318
Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

so the schematic is on the cam: high side-reverse..... medium side-neutral...... low side-forward so maybe the easiest way about going about this, is find out which way the shift shaft it turned when shifted into forward, and reverse, then have your shift rod positioned in the middle (neutral) then depending on your knowledge of which gear turns which way with the shift shaft you should know how to position your shift cam.... example, say you have your shift rod and you have a point indicating its position at 12 oclock, and this is neutral so right now the medium side of the shift cam should be touching the shift cam follower, say when you shift into reverse it turns the dial on your shift rod clockwise to 3 oclock, then we know if we turn it this way, the high side of the shift cam now must be touching the shift cam follower, then to get into forward, we would shift back to neutral and your dial will be back at 12 oclock, and then we go counter clockwise to 9 oclock and now your shift cam will have the low side in contact with the shift cam follower

what im trying to say is you have to figure out which way the shaft turns to engage forward and reverse, once you know this you will be able to adjust your shift cam accordingly.
 

bnt5

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Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11
Re: Shift Cam position???!!!Please help

got it! thanks for the info I will try this out in the morning.

Thanks again
 
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