Motor question

medfish · Post by **medfish** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:13 pm

I have a 2005, 175 mercury opti. How do I disconnect the shift linkage to
Remove the lower unit? Help! Thank u.

Rick G · Post by **Rick G** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:43 pm

The shift linkage has nothing to do with taking the lower unit off. When you remove the bolts including the sac annode, it will come right off. The shift shaft is splined and it will slide right out. My other suggestion if your a do it yourselfer is buy a service manual from your local dealer. Rick G.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:02 pm

There's a youtube video on changing the lower unit somewhere out there.

jc351 · Post by **jc351** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:27 pm

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... tch?v=46Rr
yAt1smY

jc351 · Post by **jc351** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:28 pm

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... 6RryAt1smY

jloo283 · Post by **jloo283** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:12 pm

medfish wrote:I have a 2005, 175 mercury opti. How do I disconnect the shift linkage to
Remove the lower unit? Help! Thank u.

The more important question is whether you're even asking the right question. What made you think removing the shift linkage may be an issue at all? Are you stuck in the middle of removing the lower unit for some reason that you are suspecting it may be due to the shift linkage? It is not something that can seize, certainly not to the point of preventing removal, it's the least of your worries.

Here are the steps for removing and putting it back. It's fairly easy, I do it by myself all the time but you'll have an easier time with help.

Removal
1) Removing all the nuts. There are obvious ones but there are 2 underneath the cavitation plate in the rear, underneath the round anode, and one right on top in the rear under a small cap that holds the anode. Remove that to remove anode first, then remove the 2 underneath.
2) there are 2 nuts in mid-forward section in between the plates that you will not be able to take out until you're able to slightly bring the unit about 1/2" out. They're there for safety reason and to be removed last. Loosen them first. Make sure you have the lower unit tilted about 45 deg and well supported to prevent it from dropping as you slowly remove these nuts.
3) With the motor tilted at about 45 deg, remove it while standing up as opposed to while it's vertical and you bent over.
4) Don't remove the lower unit abruptly, you'll rip out the speedo water pickup tube on the front. With the lower unit about 4" out, carefully pull out this small tube.
5) Leave the shift shaft untouched if you can help it.

Putting it back is tricky. You must align the main shaft, water pump pickup tube, shift shaft, and the speedo water pickup tube.
1) Make sure all nuts are within easy reach, and grease the splines. Use Mercury 2-4-C grease, nothing else.
2) To align the main shaft splines, open up the cowl and remove the flywheel cover, then as you're putting the lower unit in place, have someone turn the flywheel left to right slightly unit the splines line up.
3) In excitement as you get the main splines aligned, you may misalign the water pump water pickup tube. Careful with that. Repeat the process if so.
4) Don't forget to slide the speedo water pick up tube in the front, back into the receiver in the lower unit.
5) The shift shaft splines should be aligned if you didn't mess with it. However, with the motor tilted up, the shift shat will drop forward a little, causing it to not drop into the receiver. The trick is, once you have everything else aligned and have pushed the lower unit almost all the way in, use your finger to push the shift shaft from the front, from the outside so it goes into the receiver.
6) Now push the lower unit all the way in and immediately put the nuts back.
7) Make sure to torque the nuts properly, over tighten and they'll literally split in half after a while.

Good luck
James

medfish · Post by **medfish** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:38 pm

Was going to change it in the morning have changed water pumps on several other motors. 15. 80. 75 And a 50. All needed to have the forward shift linkage disconnected With the 50 the starter had to come off. Was just making sure I was not going to have any surprises. Thanks for all the advise. Cheers. Mike