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Shifter reindexed

T

toekneee

New member
"I just bought a boat with a 1

"I just bought a boat with a 1969 Merc 800 outboard. I know nothing about outboard motors but am not afraid to give it a shot if it's something that is do-able. Perhaps someone out there could give some advice to this novice. I have found out one thing, a lot of boat shops don't work on these older units. The guy I bought it from stated the following which is greek to me..."but the problem with it now is when i replaced the water impeller, the outboard got stuck in gear. It shifted nicely in forward, reverse and neutral before i removed the lower unit. I called the local boat shop here in town and they said the shifter needs to be re-indexed"

I don't live in the town in which he spoke to the guy at the boat shop so have no clue... HELP!! Can someone tell me how to go about re-indexing the shifter??"
 
"Hi there!

Welcome to the f

"Hi there!

Welcome to the forum!

Drop lower unit again, shift lower unit into neutral position. Shift your gear selector into neutral. This should line things up nicely.

Remember to ALWAYS mix gas 50:1 with oil. Do that impeller every second year and check lower case oil often. When it turns cloudy, water has ingressed, replace oil ASAP to prevent rust. Use muffs when starting motor out the water.

Just ask if there's anything else.

Good luck and happy boating!

Regards from a cold and wintery Johannesburg in South Africa.

Benjamin."
 
"I have a 2001 merc 75 and can

"I have a 2001 merc 75 and can't get the shifter into neutral. I am a very mechanical female, always still learing about my motor. So how do I know when the lower unit is in neutral position? I can't get the engine to start because it won't go into neutral. Tomorrow's the 4th of July and I can't get out on the water !! Thanks, anyone?"
 
"Terry, inside the shifter box

"Terry, inside the shifter box is a nuetral safety switch. Move the shifter around with the key in the start position and it should go.
Why it won't go in neutral could be if someone had the lower unit off and instaled it wrong. Either the shift shaft is off or the engine lock down is out of rig. It could also be the shift cable. The engine is in neutral when you can turn the propeller freely in either direction by hand. You can always pull start the engine with the key in the on position to get you on the lake."
 
"Thanks for the info. Does it

"Thanks for the info. Does it matter if the key switch is on the dash when I try to move the shifter around with the key in the start position? It is not on the control box.
Also, I did force it into neutral after raising and lowering the motor back into the water. Don't know if that had anything to do with it. But then, the warm-up button wouldn't press in so I could start the motor in warm up. It won't stay started when it is cold if I don't use the warm-up button. I did do the prop test and it did rotate freely in both directions. Any other input is welcomed. Thank you.
happy.gif
"
 
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