Replacing a dog clutch

My 50 HP outboard is not going into reverse and I suspect my dog clutch based on some research. I need an assist in disassembly. I have spun out the rear retainer and I think the next step is using a pulled to remove the rear shaft carrier that houses the seals. Is that correct? And then what? Can I pull the daft out leaving the forward gear and drive pinion in place? I appreciate any feedback.

Sorry for the typos. Use a puller and then pull the shaft, not the daft.

I haven't done a 50 transmission but most are all the same. Once you have the retainer and lock ring removed the entire prop shaft assembly should slide out as an assembly without much resistance. You shouldn't put any appreciable force against the housing to remove it as the housing could crack or be distorted.

But....FIRST....have you simply tried adjusting the shift shaft? A small adjustment there might make all the difference without doing a bunch of work.

As far as replacing the dogs all you should need is a parts page breakdown of the shaft and holder as a guide. And, as insurance, take a bunch of pictures. If you don't have a manual, you need to know that there are selective shims you can install to obtain the correct lateral clearance for proper operation of the trans.

Good luck.

Thank you for the quick reply! I tried to adjust the linkage first, but this has been a worsening situation and I finally decided this had to be the way. I will proceed to pull with caution. I want to get it right the first time with no regrets.

A honda repair manual is your best friend in this case. I know that when I rebuilt all seals and bearings in my lower unit, after removing the spanner nut, I had to use a puller(didn't take much force) to pull the bearing carrier assembly, which then gives you acccess to everything inside. I went to napa and bought a $7 puller, then went to Ace Hardware next door because you need longer hook style legs to latch onto the bearing carrier from the prop shaft. I bought two 8" eye bolts, then cut the eyes and ground them to shape to hook into the gaps/bridges of the bearing carrier, with two twists of a wrench on the puller it popped right out effortless.

I believe Dangar Marine on YouTube has a Dog Clutch video. https://youtu.be/S_A5OXC8p4s

If you do find the "dog ears" rounded off and not square with sharp edges, you need to know that selecting forward or reverse from neutral should be done in a swift, "crisp" manner.

Changing gears "lazily" causes the dogs to bounce off of one another making a chatter noise. This will cause extreme rapid wear of the sharp edges on the dogs and make shifting difficult.

Not to say they don't just eventually wear out but I've seen many damaged by owners that thought "soft shifting" was best when it is definitely a bad practice.

Good luck with your repair.

jgmo said:

If you do find the "dog ears" rounded off and not square with sharp edges, you need to know that selecting forward or reverse from neutral should be done in a swift, "crisp" manner.

Changing gears "lazily" causes the dogs to bounce off of one another making a chatter noise. This will cause extreme rapid wear of the sharp edges on the dogs and make shifting difficult.

Not to say they don't just eventually wear out but I've seen many damaged by owners that thought "soft shifting" was best when it is definitely a bad practice.

Good luck with your repair.

Click to expand...

I very much appreciate the information. We have had some motor hopping issues in reverse that caused us to try to be more gentle in our shift technique. You are not the first to suggest shifting like you mean it. Once I get this back in service I will begin indoctrination of all drivers in the family!!

Be sure to replace the reverse gesr as well as the dog clutch or you will be going through this whole excersize again in the nesr future. The engaging ramps will be just as worn on the gear

Ian makes a good point. The reverse gear is the other half of the clutch.

Also, "motor hopping" in reverse usually means something is wrong with the trim/tilt. Have you checked the fluid on that? Sometimes it can also be a case of the manual tilt screw isn't seated all the way. And if your idle is too high that might overcome the trim as some models aren't very strong.

Just a few things to check out.

Good luck.

That is probably some great advice. Thank you!