1984 Tidecraft
New member
Hello All, I recently rebuilt the lower gear unit on my 1983 Johnson 115 HP V4 motor. The shift rod was removed by a boat shop, so I was don't know for sure what the measurement was from the shift rod eyelet to the base of the gear unit housing before the shift rod was removed. I do not have a manual for this motor/lower gear unit, but looking online, I found where the measurement of the shift rod from the base of the gear unit housing to the eyelet on the shift rod, and with the unit in neutral, should be 21 27/32". As far as I know, that is the measurement I had once I installed the shift rod, unless I measured wrong. I installed the lower gear unit and the shift rod eyelet lined up exactly with the connector under the carburetors and I was able to install the screw/bolt with no problem. I put on earmuffs and started the motor, and it shifted great from neutral to forward and reserve. I did this about 10 times, and everything worked great. I took it to the lake this weekend for the first time after rebuilding the lower gear unit and it went into reverse with no problem and came off the boat trailer like it should. I then tried putting it into forward gear and it didn't won't to go into forward gear. I moved the remote gear shift back and forth from neutral, to reverse, and back to forward gear several times and it finally went into forward gear. I ran it for about two hours without taking it out of forward gear. When I got ready to load up the boat, I took it out of forward gear and I could not get it back into forward gear, but it would go into reverse gear with no problem. I am thinking I am going to have to drop the lower gear unit and remeasure the shift rod height but before I did that, I thought I would ask if anyone had an idea of why it shifted into forward gear fine with the earmuffs but it did not want to go into forward gear on the lake but it went into reverse with no problem.