Shift Linkage Sloppiness

[AguaSki]

I have a 1978 Johnson 140 hp crossflow. When I disconnected the shift cable and manually shift into gear there seems to be a lot of extra play in the shifter before it actually starts to pivot into gear. This is also naturally felt at the control when the cable is connected. How much slop or extra play is normal? Assuming I can find parts to make a repair do I need to remove the carburetor to get to the linkage? It seems like the linkage is located in a difficult location to work on. Any "how to's" or prior threads that address this type of repair? All my searches with the word "linkage" turn up results on how to adjust the linkage and not how to repair the sloppiness if that is a problem.

 

[interalian]

Can you see any lost motion in the linkage when you operate it? There are two nylon bushes in the shaft that crosses from the shift pin to the cable arm. Other play in the linkage itself would be inside the gearcase.

 

[AguaSki]

I am pretty sure there is no excessive play in the gear case. All the excessive play appears to be where the **** linkage connects to the shift shaft that runs down to the lower unit. How hard is it to get to those nylon bushings for replacement? It looks like a lot of disassembly is needed to get down in there.

 

[emdsapmgr]

This may not apply to your engine, but it may. I had problems with my 1979 200 V6. Shifted very sloppy. Tore the front of the engine apart and found that there is a nylon bushing which goes around the shift lever just under the bottom carb. It is shoved inside the casting with the hole in it that supports the shift lever. That pc of nylon had deteriorated on my engine and was causing the shift lever to be very sloppy. Problem is that the parts diagrams don't show that 1 1/4" nylon bushing in either the block or intake manifold diagrams. Neither on the V6 or V4 parts diagrams. I somehow got two part numbers for that nylon bushing and ordered both. The are similar, but different thicknesses. I found the one in my engine was the thin one, creating sloppiness. Repl it with the other one I ordered and the slop is gone.

 

[boobie]

Edit.....

 

[James R]

Yup the bushings can do it and the bottom carb will need removing. Great opportunity to rebuild the carbs.

 

[AguaSki]

I have been jumping out of gear, and I am reasonably confident that the clutch dogs in the lower unit are still in great shape. The lower unit was rebuilt in 2009 with new seals, gears and dogs and it has been very well maintained since that time. Shift cables are also new so I am zeroing in on these bushings creating slop as my problem. I believe I have located the part numbers for the bushings I need (0312708 and 0315101).