1998 Yamaha 40 hp outboard lower shift rod loose from the shift cam and spins freely

[PastorKen]

I pulled the LU the other day to replace the water pump parts and noticed the lower shift rod was still connected onto the upper unit. I'm no mechanic expert and didn't see this as a problem. When finished, I reinstalled the LU (including inserting the lower shift rod into place) and took to the lake. Water pump peed perfectly but I discovered I only had forward gear in all positions (including neutral). The boat ran wonderfully but it was a little tricky maneuvering (at the dock and loading on the trailer). I was given good advice on how to set the LU into the neutral position to fix the stuck in forward issue, but when I noted that the lower shift rod was loose from the LU, I was told that the shift rod had come loose from the shift cam and I needed to find an online tutorial to help fix my issue. is there anyone out there who would care to help step me through the process of reinstalling the lower shift rod back into the spring loaded shift cam? OR does anyone have a link to share with me having an online tutorial to step me through this process? I appreciate all the help I can get with this!!!