Topic: Shift Lever – Antique Outboard Motor Club,Inc

This topic has 45 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by necks.

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April 18, 2015 at 5:22 pm #1250
necks
Participant
US Member
I just replaced a broken shift arm lever on a RDE-19 Johnson 35hp. Put good used original # arm on motor. Shift arm coming out on motor will not line up with 1/4-20 bolt in shift lever slot when lower unit is in neutral. The shift lever I took off was broken and apparently shimmed because female thread in shift arm was cross threaded. Where shift arm from motor is now in neutral, shift lever arm is a hole off. Why won’t that line up, adjustment?
April 18, 2015 at 8:04 pm #14227
fleetwin
Participant
US Member - 2 Years
OK, well I see the shift lever is in its neutral detent. But, is the gearcase in neutral as well? Loosen up the shift lever clamp screw (although it looks loose already), then push the shift lever towards reverse just enough so the you can get the screw/nut through the outer lever/inner shaft.
Now, you can fine tune the shift adjustment.
If everything still appears to be way off with the screw through the slot/inner shaft, perhaps you didn’t get the shift rod connector properly aligned/connected. I’m assuming you had the gearcase off as well.
April 19, 2015 at 2:21 pm #14274
necks
Participant
US Member
I bought this motor last fall, started and run fine. I hooked this motor up on a different boat, and noticed the shift arm was broke. It looked like slot in arm was broke. Unscrewed makeshift bolt holding arm on, arm come apart in pieces, noticed threaded hole was stripped out. Installed newer shift arm and threaded hole would not line up with slot on shift arm, as you can see in picture, bolt hole does not line up with slot. Shift arm coming off motor with 1/4-20 threaded hole, is in neutral now, as shown in picture. He mentioned he put a new water pump, along with ign tune up, when I bought this engine. Can this be adjusted out if I pull lower unit off, or is the problem under the powerhead?
April 19, 2015 at 3:51 pm #14278
frankr
Participant
US Member
Are you for sure positive the shifter lever is off a same year, same horsepower motor? There have been changes in that area over the years. Some even have two slotted holes. If we can assume the PO has the shift rod connector installed correctly, there is no adjustment down below. By installed correctly, I mean the two screws pass by the two notches in the upper and lower shift rods (behind the oval plate on the side of the leg).

It is even possible that some incorrect parts have been installed under the power head. But let’s not go there yet. I’m leaning towards the wrong shifter lever. The Evinrude blue almost suggests something.
April 19, 2015 at 6:19 pm #14290
necks
Participant
US Member
Hello Frank, I had a shift arm off a Evinrude, which is the one I have on there now. I looked at it , and is the one you see now in the picture, thought to myself that can’t be right. I’ve got another RD-19 35hp, which I took off shift arm and installed on this motor, everything fits the same. I swapped arms around, both shift arms were identical. I tried this motor out before I bought it, started, run ,and shifted fine. Maybe I should have left well enough alone. Something not quite right here. Who knows what this motor has been thru the last 50 years. So what are you thinking? Thanks, Gene.
April 20, 2015 at 12:15 am #14314
david-bartlett
Participant
Necks,

Your shifter looks just like the one on my RD-16, which is part # 375766. That is the same # that should be on the RD-19 according to MarineEngine.com.

Frank is likely correct that something else is different inside.
April 20, 2015 at 6:33 pm #14370
necks
Participant
US Member
That is definetly the correct shift arm for that engine. You mentioned there maybe something wrong in the linkeage. Any help at this point would be appreciated.
April 20, 2015 at 7:27 pm #14374
chris-p
Participant
Pull the oval cover on the side of the lower unit to reveal the shift rod coupler. Remove the bottom bolt. Now ensure that the hole in the coupler is perfectly aligned with the detent on the shift rod, then reinstall the bolt. Does that align it better?
April 20, 2015 at 10:52 pm #14385
necks
Participant
US Member
Hello Chris, I pulled cover off for shift rod alignment, removed bolt in coupler, shaft appeared to be a little out of alignment.
Lined up shaft with coupler reinstall bolt. Didn’t seem to make much difference. Frank mentioned some shift levers have two
slotted holes, Updates? Can’t say I ever seen one. Anybody know the part number for this shift arm? Maybe.
April 20, 2015 at 11:22 pm #14388
chris-p
Participant
This is a stupid question, but the gearcase is in neutral right? 🙂
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