Hi, Im new to outboard engines and now realize that they require a special talent OMG.... I decided to commission my dads 1997 evinrude E90Tsleu after a 5 yr. lay up. After getting her started i thought it a good idea to replace the LU gear oil and water pump asm (purchased from this site) as routine maintenance. I followed the maint manual for the Lu removal and water pump replacement. I did not touch the shift rod or change any adjustments however, after reconnecting the celvis rod shift pin at the engine I did not have foward/reverse. So read though forum treads and decided to drop LU again(3xs) to check things out. During the last drop I attemped to manually pull or push the shift rod to make sure i was detented in neutral however with good force i could not move the rod up or down. So, i use vice grips and a wood chock for leverage and while rotating the prop i was able to lift the rod slightly and the prop engaged. But as soon as I let go of the vice grip upwood pressure the prop spun freely. I expected to be able to feel the rod detent into positions but this was not the case. To summarize If I dont touch the shift rod the prop spin freely, if I use extreme force I can lift the rod some to lock the prop but no way will it push down which i assume is reverse. I really not sure how everything works just trying to use logic and follow the motion. Any thoughts or suggestions are appricated, I would hate to reconnect Lu again if the Shift rod engagement is the issue. Just dont know anymore 