80hp Merc Lower Unit problems

[Swidgen]

Hopefully someone can help me out. My boat recently quit pumping water so I took off the lower unit. I saw the impeller and housing were all dry rotted and burnt up. I replaced all of that and put the lower unit back on. Now when I spin my prop clockwise it clicks and it turns very hard in reverse all while the engine is off and in nuetral. When I start the motor its in foward right off the bat and stays in foward even when shifted to reverse. If anyone knows what I did wrong that would be great.

 

[tritonman2001]

the shift shaft is off by one spline, drop the lower unit, and reinstall with both the shifter and the lower unit in nuetral.

 

[Swidgen]

Thanks for the reply and any help is appreciated but im a newb lol. How exactly do I get the lower unit in nuetral?

 

[crankbearing]

When you drop it at the front of the lower unit you will see a small splined stainless shaft, there is a tool for it but you are going to have to use pliers by the sound of it. Be careful not to mar the splines at all or that will make your day even worse trying to get it back on. Turn that splined shaft around clockwise it will click three times the middle time is neutral the prop will spin free without ratcheting (fwd) locking up (rev)

Is this a three or 4 cylinder motor. If it is 4 without trim there will be a couple plastic parts in there, one looks like a ramp that is for your reverse lock and the other should be up in the housing holding the lower part of the upper shift shaft in place. if it is a three cylinder motor disregard this paragraph good luck.

 

[fastjeff]

Stop! It's counter clockwise to go from F to N to R. Put the shifter in F, turn the cam on the lU CW until the slack is taken out, then stab her up there.

Jeff

 

[Swidgen]

Ok guys thanks for all the help i got her back in one piece and works great.