I am not positive but I think it does not matter. On that motor, it had a cup and bearing and not a bushing as a thrust bearing. I think you can swap gears around and swap ends on the clutch dog. Later models had distinct foeward and reverse gears. Frankr would know more than I.
Rule is, the one with a pressed-in bushing (B) is forward. Reverse has a floating bushing because the gear rotates in opposite direction from the prop shaft (when running in forward/high speed).
Frank
Not sure what you mean by floating bushing
Both bushings do not spin with in the gear.
Buccaneer
I get it
“A” “the reverse gear “The taller brass one-needs the space to accommodated Number 34 and 35
I’ll make this a short story
I sent Dan from TN both forward and reverse gears.
He has a arbor press
He put the brass bushing from the forward gear into the reverse gear and vice a versa
Then I installed the clutch dog the opposite way than how it was originally.
Now everything rides on new lobes.
Dan from Tn had a Johnson not Evinrude Quick Reference Guide.
That is how he determine that both gears were the same and the bushings were different.
In the gear case parts list for RDE-17
It does not show individual gear part numbers.
Dan thinks that all RD’s gears will turn around up to 1986
Does anyone have a PDF of a JOHNSON Quick Reference Guide??????????
You are saying the bushing will not spin within the reverse gear? I think it should. Golly, I hope Dan in Tn don’t fight over this. He knows more than I do.
I’m thinking “B” is the forward gear…The lip on the bushing should fit inside the bearing, try it and see if it does….
I agree that the bushing in “A” should be free floating and is the reverse gear…Try tapping the bushing with a rubber/plastic mallet….
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