Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

[mirage5058]

Still having trouble with lower unit installation I have searched the forums for ideas but nothing.I put a new impeller in and CANNOT GET GEARS BACK it is stuck in forward and cannot move lever to shift to reverse or vice versa,i have taken it apart 10 times cant seem to get reverse and forward back again any help would greatly be apprecaited

 

[Starcrafted]

Re: Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

I had a similar problem when I took my '68 apart. I changed the water pump impeller and after reassembly I had only forward gear (with shift control forward or backward) and no neutral... what a pain in the butt!

What happened to me was the shift pawl in the gear set fell out of phase and wasn't indexed to the shift shaft. I had to take the gears out to re-index the pawl onto the shift shaft.

Hope this helps!

 

[mirage5058]

Re: Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

Thanks could you explain what the pawl gear is and how i realign it?

 

[Scoots]

Re: Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

I had a similar problem with my 1971 50hp. I actually had no problem getting it back together, but it only ran in forward.I put the lower shift rod into neutral after I had pulled the lower unit, however, I then could not get the lower shift rod to synch up with the upper. I moved the lower rod into forward and it fell right in in. I then adjusted my shift cable accordingly.

 

[Starcrafted]

Re: Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

The pawl (Mercury calls it a shift cam) is a kind of spring and detent eccentric which is splined onto the bottom of the shift shaft in the lower unit/gear case. It is what moves the ratchet clutch between the forward and reverse gear. when I removed the lower unit, even though my shifter was in neutral, the spring pressure on the shift cam was enough to push it out of alignment. So when I put the lower unit back on, it never splined with the shift shaft.

Check out usboatsupply.com and search your motor by serial#. They have a good parts breakdown of our motor.

 

[mirage5058]

Re: Still Having Trouble 68 Mercury 50hp Lower Unit Reinstallation (help)

Thanks to all finally got it,My God what a nightmare 12 times of removing lower unit,with the help of all of you i got it,THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE