Outboard shift rod prevents tilt-lock engaging

[JC192]

I have a 5 hp Merc outboard I bought with my boat used. It's from somewhere between 1989 and 1994. While using it to motor over to the lift crane to have my boat taken out of the water yesterday, I came across a new problem (new to me).The motor has a shift rod in the lower unit that moves downward when shifted into reverse. When this shaft is all the way down, a spring-loaded tilt lock is supposed to engage, preventing the motor from tilting up when underway in reverse. Now, even though the shift lever is all the way back, the rod will not go down far enough to allow the tilt lock to engage. Result? I had to physically hold the motor down in order to get the boat backwards into the crane slip. Not a permanent solution.Any ideas on the cause and solution?

 

[novelman17128]

Shift rod

Usually the shift rod has a short lever with a spring that goes over a horizonal rod on the motor. If this is bent, twisted or broken the reverse lock will not engage. Lock for it below the motor itself. Also, do you have a tab that says lock/unlock that engages this? Also do you engage it when reversing?Novelman

 

[JC192]

Yes, I've seen the lever

Not in front of the motor now, but I know what you mean. There is a lever, and a spring-loaded horizontal bar attached to the tilt lock. In forward or neutral, a small rod slides up from the lower unit and pushes the bar up. This frees the tilt lock so you can tilt the motor up. In reverse, that rod slides back down into the lower unit, which should allow the bar to drop all the way so the two hooks on the tilt lock will grab the tilt angle rod on the engine mount. I've never seen or used a manual tab for locking or unlocking it - but I haven't looked for one.The problem seems to be that the small rod coming from the lower unit won't go back down far enough for the bar to drop all the way down.Kind of hard to picture without a photo...

 

[Joe White]

I had the same problem

You did not mension if this is a new engine. I baught a new 9.9 Mercury 4 cycle. I found that when backing up my Hunter 25.5 the propeller would come out of the water. It had the same locking machanisem. I thought it needed to be adjusted. But this was not the case. If you look under the hinge where it tilts up there are two U shape springs, one on the left and one on the right side. Compare them with each other and you will find that one of them is out of its place. This was the case for me. Good luck, I hope this helps.

 

[sailormannj]

Web site for outboards

Go to Iboats.com. There is a link there for outboard questions/answers that is very helpful.