shifter moved back to nuetral while lower unit is off

[biggjimm]

I've got the lower unit off of my 76 3.0L 140 mercruiser w/ #1 drive & I had put the shifter in forward gear prior to pulling the lower off & now I look & some knucklehead has put the shifterback in neutral. Probably my father in law as he's kinda analabout some stuff. Is it just as simple as putting the shifter back in forward gear & putting the lower back on now or will there be adjustments involved? I read I have to hold the shift piece on the lower unit in the forward gear position & until they are mated back up

 

[thumpar]

Just put it back in the forward position. The most important part is that you have the lower locked in forward and the shift shaft forward when you put them together. Don't forget the washer for the shift shaft.

 

[biggjimm]

Ok thanks thumpar

 

[biggjimm]

I did not remember there being any washer that came from the shift shaft & I just checked & apparently it was not in there. The bushings is there & the oil seal &the little rubber washer but the shift shaft washer that it is showing in my parts diagram was not there. The top of the bushing has some oil & sludge on it & if the washer were in there like it is supposed to be then that gunk wouldn't be built up on top of the bushing like it is. There is a little washer on the the shift mechanism on the upper housing that is above a cotter pin but that's clearly not the washer you're referring to. What does that washer do & what if it's not there? Wmy father in law has had this boat for close to 20 years now & his brother in law had it five or so before him & the lower unit has never been off of it in that time. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, hasn't the impeller been serviced in all that time? But sadly the answer is no, it had not been apart in the last 25 years or so.

 

[crazy charlie]

Just shift it back to where it was in full fwd and I usually place a paper or plastic bag on the shifter as to remind me or anyone like pop.Charlie

 

[biggjimm]

Ok .Thanks Charlie. Any thoughts on the shift shaft washer that is supposed to be in there but it's not?


What about hooking a water hose to the copper tube that goes down in the water pump housing & running the motor with the lower unit removed? Is that ok or should I just wait until I can get the lower put back on before I start the motor? I just replaced the fuel pump & drained & refilled the fuel tank & inspected & replaced a few hoses & want to start it up but my water pump kit has not arrived yet.

 

[Bondo]

What about hooking a water hose to the copper tube that goes down in the water pump housing & running the motor with the lower unit removed?

Naw,.... Plumb yer garden hose to the port on the t-stat, that is downstream of that copper pipe,....

It's the hose from the transom, probably runnin' across the intake manifold, to the t-stat housin',...

 

[thumpar]

If you only took the lower off and not the whole drive I would not try to run it. The upper won't have lube in it. If you did remove the whole drive just put the hose in the hole on the gimbal the is fed from the impeller in the drive.

 

[biggjimm]

I only removed the lower unit & decided to go fishing today & enjoy my boat that is running rather then mess with that boat any more today. The impeller kit will be here tomorrow & I'll put it back together before I try to run it.

I might not have been clear Bondo, especially referring to the impeller as the water pump, I was talking about the copper tube inside the outdrive that's fits down in the impeller housing on the lower & not the tube sticking out of the circulating pump on the engine. Sorry if that's what it sounded like I was talking about. Thanks guys. Jim.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

The washer is a spacer for height. Keeps the shift shaft in the upper half of the drive from dropping down out of the shift shaft in the bellhousing, which would cause you to loose shifting.

You really should be pulling the upper off as well.... yearly.... to grease the ujoints, splines that enter the coupler, and gimbal bearing, check alignment. That boat is due for complete bellows job and a lower shift cable most likely.

I agree there is no oil in the upper with the lower off, don't run it that way. Pull the upper off and you can stick the hose in the bellhousing water inlet and let it run that way.

 

[biggjimm]

I'm going to pull the upper off to inspect & grease everything. Is a #1 outdrive the same thing as an "R" outdrive? The info I found said that only the alpha one & "R" drives have the washer but did not mention the #1 drive. In the upper housing, on the part of the shift shaft that the lower slides up into, it looks like a sleeve about 3" long or so, maybe plastic but at the top of that sleeve there is a cotter pin thru it with a flat washer above it & I can't find it in any diagram I've looked at. Is that from the factory or something someone cobbled up to keep the shifter from coming apart beings the washer on the lower shift shaft is not there? Thanks guys. This washer thing has got me concerned but it's been that way & always shifted fine so I don't know what's going on. Jim.

 

[biggjimm]

I think I'm going to start a new post concerning this washer thing. Thanks guys. Jim.