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1979 Evinrude 35 hp - No Reverse

C

CaneyTB

New member
[FONT=&quot]1979 Evinrude 35 hp model 35952A (Commercial) with a console/cable steering and throttle.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]So...removed the lower unit to repair the water pump. Once that was complete, the LU was reinstalled. Upon testing the new water pump (with muffs...successful repair), I was shifting it in and out of forward, neutral and reverse. Forward was awesome, neutral was no spin, and there is no reverse. Dang it! [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]I should say that prior to removing the LU for the water pump repair, everything shifted properly and had forward and reverse.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Removed the LU, adjusted the shift rod to where the prop spun freely in both directions and the drive shaft was not spinning. Went back to the controller, made sure the shift handle was in neutral also. Reinstalled the LU...same thing...no reverse.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Went to the shift adjuster and tinkered with it, loosening and tightening, still no luck.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Removed the shift cable from the linkage on the starboard side of the motor and, with the motor running, moved the shifter by hand.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Wiggled it to make sure it was in neutral, and moved it into forward...moved very easily and the prop started spinning.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Went back to neutral, prop stopped spinning. Moved it into reverse, and it was very hard to move. I could feel the gears trying to engage...kind of thumping or pulsing came through the shift handle. Pushed a little harder towards the rear and the gears engaged and prop started spinning in reverse. Didn't feel right so I went back to neutral and shut it off. And then I came in here to type this question.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Any help would be greatly appreciated. I feel like it is close to being right...just not sure what to adjust. [/FONT]
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Thanks,[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Brandon[/FONT]
 
The connecter inside that oval port is NOT an adjustment.-----The notches on the upper and lower shift rod must be lined up with the holes before bolt is put in.----Repeat.----There is no adjustment feature there.
 
racerone said:
The connecter inside that oval port is NOT an adjustment.-----The notches on the upper and lower shift rod must be lined up with the holes before bolt is put in.----Repeat.----There is no adjustment feature there.
Click to expand...

Right...I've checked and double checked that the notches in the upper and lower shift rods are aligned properly in the shift rod connector and that the bolts are seated properly in the notches. All the connections are solid with no wiggle.

Could there be an adjustment to the upper shift rod that needs to be made? Or is there an external adjustment on the shifter cable to get things back in alignment? Grasping at straws here.

By the way...this question is crossposted. I see you responded on the other forum also. I really appreciate the input and insight. I'm such a rookie, any and all help is appreciated.

Brandon
 
There is an adjustment at the shiftrod handle on the motor.------But if it worked before the water pump work ????-----Did you or somebody else turn the lower shift rod ?----I believe it has to be turned all the way in.
 
racerone said:
There is an adjustment at the shiftrod handle on the motor.------But if it worked before the water pump work ????-----Did you or somebody else turn the lower shift rod ?----I believe it has to be turned all the way in.
Click to expand...
Turn the lower shift rod...hmm...I had no idea it could turn! Ok...well. I'll pull the LU tomorrow and give that a whirl!

Thanks for the suggestion...hopefully that's the magic pill! Thanks Racerone!

Brandon
 
***THIS IS CROSS POSTED ON OTHER FORUMS...SORRY FOR THE DUPLICATION***


Ok...update. Removed the LU to see if the lower shift rod needed to be screwed in. It did not...solid as a rock in terms of being able to screw it in further.


I did, however, notice that the shift rod did have some vertical play in it...between 1/8th and 1/16th of an inch. As I was noticing that play, I saw the prop moving in conjunction with the shift rod movement.


When the shift rod moved upward, the prop moved inward, toward the foot, the same amount of travel as the shift rod...about 1/8 to 1/16th. When the shift rod moved down, the prop moved outward, away from foot.


I could move the prop in and out and the shift rod would move in unison.


So, I reinstalled the LU and while pulling outward on the prop (which moved the shift rod down), bolted everything back in place. The top of the shift rod nestled back into the connector perfectly and the bolt seated securely.


Fired up the motor and nada...still no reverse. The console shifter still in reverse, I went back to the motor and manually moved the shifter on the motor to reverse and it bit and started spinning in reverse...cool!


Went back up, shifted into neutral...no spin on the prop. Moved into forward, appropriate spin on the prop. Back to neutral...still good. Back to reverse...no spin. Nothing. No more reverse.


Returned to the motor and again attempted the shift handle and it wouldn't budge toward reverse past the point where I could feel the "thud thud thud" of things trying to mesh up.


Turned it off and gave up for the day.


Should the prop and the shift rod have play in them like that? Or, is that fine?


Should I attempt the lengthen the exterior shift cable on the motor?


Thanks everyone for your input so far.


Brandon
 
The propshaft moving forward and backward during shifting is normal.----Have you tried adjusting at the shift handle on the motor ??
 
racerone said:
The propshaft moving forward and backward during shifting is normal.----Have you tried adjusting at the shift handle on the motor ??
Click to expand...
I haven't yet...that will be the first step tomorrow morning. I guess I'll adjust it to where it pushes the shift lever on the motor closer to the Reverse position, so that there is less travel for it to push the shift rod down into the reverse gear. Am I thinking correctly?
 
racerone said:
Think carefully while adjusting this !
Click to expand...
No joke...after you posed that question, I started researching. Seems like turning those little knobs can really screw some stuff up. Now I'm scared to touch it! Good grief! I've been trying to avoid mechanics just because they take so long to get to stuff (all the ones around here are 6 to 8 weeks out). But, I'll guess I'll have to take it to The Man and see what can be done.

And I feel like it is so close to being right...that's the frustrating part. The starts and runs like a champ.

I guess I could take it out and just not use reverse! There are worse things!

Thanks for the input.

Brandon
 
Been tinkering with the shifter lever on the motor, the shift knob on the motor, etc. Still no reverse. Forward is smooth and easy and neutral is easy to find. And when the shift cable is disconnected and try to shift it into reverse by hand, it is extremely difficult to push it rearward. I can barely feel the rear gear trying to engage...kind of dull thump each time it tries to catch. But I can't physically push it any further.


So, after much research, aka YouTube videos and message board searches, I moved the shift handle on the remote to reverse and then removed the lower unit. Then, while turning the prop in reverse (it was spinning freely like it was in Neutral and the drive shaft was not spinning), pushed the shift down and it caught into Reverse. Drive was spinning as I spun the prop by hand. Cool!


Reinstalled the LU with the shift lever still in Reverse. Buttoned everything up and shifted back into Neutral. Started things up and moved the shift lever on the remote into Reverse...and nothing. Exactly the same situation as before. Couldn't move it by hand into Reverse either. Shifted into Forward gear easily and back into Neutral smoothly. I don't think I can adjust knob on the shift cable enough to make it push further back.


So what does that mean? I have no clue...obviously. I'm thinking maybe the rear gear and/or the backside of the dog clutch is somehow out of whack...or are worn out.


Next stop looks to be the mechanic.
 
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