Honda 1999 BF50A Upper Shift Rod

"Need advice regarding broken

"Need advice regarding broken upper shift rod

I was trying to change the water pump on a Honda 1999 BF50A and have managed to break the upper shift rod while trying to unscrew the upper/lower shift rod connector to drop the lower unit.

The connector nut was siezed but broke loose when I turned it clockwise , unfornunately, it appears that the top of the rod broke loose behind the rectifier near the idle position sensor.

The rod is intact, but loose, and I can see a small broken piece that apparently held the shift rod in place. I don't know what broke yet without removing some components.

I think this is going to be a major repair expense unless I can fix this myself. Is the upper shift rod anythihg I should attempt fix? I have the Clyer Shop Manual but haven't found clear info on what needs to be done?

Any information on what needs to be done to fix this will be greatly appreciated..."

"I assume the part you broke i

"I assume the part you broke is the shift lever assembly in front of the engine. If you are mechanically inclinded, you should be able to replace it. I would take a lot of digital pictures as you are taking it apart, since you will probably have to remove several layers of items. There are a couple of small cotter pins that you will have to remove along the way. They are probably the biggest challenge. Part #8 in the attached picture( comes as a complete piece with plastic levers attached), is probably what you need to replace. The manual you have will help you taking off the various layers. The part runs about $43. I have changed several on 25hp and depending on whether your motor is electric start, tiller steering etc can take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Give yourself plenty of time. Good luck. Typical honda 50 shift linkage

"Thanks Mike, your diagnosis w

"Thanks Mike, your diagnosis was correct.

I was able to remove part 8 but could not remove connector nut on shift rods. Ended up pulling both shift rods out with lower unit.

Still could not disconnect rods even after they were out. Couldn't turn connector in either direction. Upper shift rod ended up breaking off flush with connector while applying heat and PB Blaster. Not sure what caused the connector to seize up because there didn't seem to be any corrosion on these parts.

Not sure if I'll have to pull the power head to get a new upper shift rod back in. The broken rod will not just slide back in without flexing the rod slightly to clear the swivel housing and pass through rubber grommet.

Not sure if this required flexing will bend the new rod or not. Will have to compare the old one to a new one to see if it was bent permanently while flexing.

I hope it's not bent! I didn't plan on pulling the head.

Thanks again."

Glad you got it out. You migh

Glad you got it out. You might try removing the grommet before you put the shift rod back in. It should give you a little more room to flex. Be sure to have the grommet somewhere on the shift shaft when you are doing it. You may also have to turn the shift shaft a little one way or the other and may still have to push a little to get it all the way in. Hopefully the powerhead does not get in the way.

"Thanks for the help, I have f

"Thanks for the help, I have finally got the upper shift rod back in and new shift arm installed without removing the head. The shift rod does go back in without flexing once the rubber boot is removed.

I reinstalled lower unit but I have noticed that the prop now turns very slowly in reverse rotation when engine is idling. It stops rotating if any pressure is applied to the prop but I don't think this was happening before.

No sure if this is a problem but I am wondering if shift rods need to be adjusted? If so, I would appreciate advice on the procedure to adjust properly.

Thanks in advance."

"If you don't start with t

"If you don't start with the nuts in the right spot, the shifting can be out.

Shift the lower unit into reverse. Be sure to turn the prop by hand as you do this so you do not break the linkage again.

Unlock the two shift linkage nuts and turn the top nut (the long one) up the shaft until it comes off the bottom shaft. Keep turning to make sure it is all the way clear.

Postion the bottom(smaller) nut about 1/3 inch from the end of the rod. Then, while keeping the bottom nut in place, screw the top nut down until it comes in contact with the bottom nut.

The lock them together. There you go. If you are still having any issues a slight movement up or down of the position of the bottom nut should correct it."