Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I just finished replacing the water pump on our 1998 Force 90 and now only have forward gear in all shift positions.
We placed the boat in forward before dropping the lower unit and we were very careful to not disturb anything while apart.

Seamed to bolt up relatively easily after just a little wiggling of the shaft splines.
Lower unit was not drained at all yet.

Drop the lower unit again and then what procedures?
Sorry, first time I've done this.

Thanks,
Steve

Make sure the shift linkage is connected.

It will be a pain but you have to get the little linkage set just right. It does not really turn as much as you would think. I did that once and wound up mounting/unmounting the lower at least a dozen times. I carefully used pliers to turn the gear linkage on the lower to get it in forward and had the gear shift lever in forward. You can spin the prop with your hand while the lower is not mounted to check.Good luck.

Thanks - I'll drop the lower unit again try again...

- Your right, doesn't rotate much at all; I watched the shaft rotate while my son worked the shifter prior to beginning the job.CAn t
- This year had a splined shaft and a coupling sleeve to kink them together. The sleeve was hanging on the shaft of the upper unit and fell off while we were dropping the lower unit - about one inch long w/ a wide base on one end; pretty sure the wide base was on the bottom towards the lower unit.
- We ended up placing the sleeve on the lower unit figuring it would be easier raising the lower unit this way.
- When we work the shifter I can't feel / hear any the shifter action I'm used to hearing; I'm assuming the sleeve is not mated to each shaft end.

1. Can the shaft in the upper unit be pushed up while we were re-installing the lower unit and thus not be engaged with the sleeve?
2. Anything else to watch or suggestions?

Thanks again,
Steve

Put your shifter in neutral. take a pair of channel locks or vice grips and turn shift linkage coming out of gear box while turning prop. When you can turn prop forward or backward with no resistance or clicking stop turning linkage and reinstall lower unit. you should then be able to shift normally

lakerunner wrote:Put your shifter in neutral. take a pair of channel locks or vice grips and turn shift linkage coming out of gear box while turning prop. When you can turn prop forward or backward with no resistance or clicking stop turning linkage and reinstall lower unit. you should then be able to shift normally

I agree with Loyd. On my Honda the gear must be in neutral, although on your Force it may be different. There is a flat spot on the shift rod that should be in a certain position as a guide on my motor.

megawatt wrote:

lakerunner wrote:Put your shifter in neutral. take a pair of channel locks or vice grips and turn shift linkage coming out of gear box while turning prop. When you can turn prop forward or backward with no resistance or clicking stop turning linkage and reinstall lower unit. you should then be able to shift normally

I agree with Loyd. On my Honda the gear must be in neutral, although on your Force it may be different. There is a flat spot on the shift rod that should be in a certain position as a guide on my motor.

This was how my last Merc was. When I changed the water pump I got it messed up and finally called a mechanic friend and he told me how to do it

I just changed my water pump about a month ago, and everything said to put it in forward gear as well. Got back together, and had the same problem. I only had forward gear. Put lever back to neutral, and then did exactly what Lakerunner said, and she works great. Give that a shot.

Alright; been busy but just dropped the lower unit again and set the lower unit into neutral and re-installed with the shift lever in neutral.

The lower unit is in neutral when the shift lever is in neutral and shifts into the forward just fine. HOWEVER, I'm having trouble with reverse. When I shift into reverse I don't hear / feel the linkage shift in the motor the way I do for forward and then the prop is locked solid and will not turn either direction.
I can shift back into neutral and forward and all is fine; just don't have the 'clunk' sound when going into reverse and the prop locks up.

Help! What am I missing?
Really don't want to drag this thing to a marine tech...

put in neutral, drop lower unit again and try this

With channel locks turn till your in forward, then turn the opposite till in reverse. Now find that spot between the two and try again.

Have you ran engine to see if it is going into reverse? If you don't have a muff get one as they are a good tool to have on hand

Thanks Lakerunner.

I do have muffs but did not try as I thought this was wrong; assumed that with the shifter in reverse the prop would rotate in the opposite direction with the click you hear when in forward.

Gentleman on the marineengine.com forum said I'm good as the prop is supposed to be locked in both directions when in reverse.

Can someone confirm that it's correct that the prop is locked in both directions when you shift into reverse when the engine is not running? Plan on hooking up the muffs and trying tomorrow; just really don't want to grenade the lower end...

Of course if I had slowed down and checked how everything interacted BEFORE dropping the lower unit I wouldn't be questioning...

I think so yes