1985 75hp merc gear problem

I am having problems with my

I am having problems with my 1985 75hp merc going into gear. I have to give it at least 3/4 throttle before it will kick in. Otherwise it will just set there and knock like it is coming off the boat. The dealer said that it was a typical problem for that engine. The clutch spring was too strong. Any ideas on how to repair this. Also can I add a power trim to this engine.
Thanks

"Barry,

Make sure the shift

"Barry,

Make sure the shift rod is not binding in the lower unit casing. You should be able to observe how the shift rod rotates at the point where it enters the lower unit.

The shift cable might also be the problem. You can disconnect it and try to operate the shift mechanism by hand. You will be able to feel if it is binding if you do this. You can do this without running the engine. Just remember that as you try to shift into gear you should either turn the flywheel clockwise by hand, or rotate the prop a bit until the gears are engaged. This allows the clutch dog to engage the gears properly.

On these engines the clutch spring is what pushes the clutch dog into the forward gear as the shift cam rotates, so I don't think a "strong" clutch spring would prevent it from going into gear. If the spring is faulty (broken or worn) it would make it difficult to shift into forward gear, but reverse would not be a problem. It would tend to stick in reverse if the spring was really bad.

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