Reply To: Mercury 1957 Mark 55E problem

[billw]

I would bet that when you had the lower unit off, the shift shaft got so turned around that it’s working the cam follower/plunger from the back side, because the six-splined shift shaft connection is clocked wrong. You are not the first to do this and you won’t be the last. When you take off the lower unit, I forget which way is which on the shift shaft but when you shift it, you should feel a distinct detent in neutral and reverse. If you don’t feel them, try turning the shift shaft through its free arc range and keep going, seeing if you can feel the detents in the other direction.

Long live American manufacturing!