OK, well I guess you do want to avoid pulling up that plastic upper gearcase cover. Cleaning up the old sealer, and resealing this part is a real hassle. The problem is that the gearcase is in neutral, so that big spring has most likely pushed the cam out of the way a bit so the hole in the cam won’t line up with the shift rod when you push it in. There is supposed to be a retainer clip on that shift rod under the upper cover to prevent it from coming out, but it could have fallen out I guess.
The other issue here is that this is one of those “ball shift” models as shown in this diagram:
Evinrude Gearcase Parts for 1992 6hp E6RENM Outboard Motor (marineengine.com)
So, if you remove the rear prop shaft bushing/seal hsg and prop shaft, those pesky little shift engagement balls are likely to fall out of place.
Are you sure the gearcase is in neutral? I would thought that the spring would have pushed the mechanism back into the forward position, but who knows. I guess I would drain the oil out completely, then try installing the shift rod again, while moving the gearcase to several positions that might help the cam fall back in alignment. You will need to be rotating the shift rod as well while trying to install it, the flat in the shift rod needs to line up with the flat inside the cam as well. Keep trying this buddy, perhaps have an assistant help you. You really want to avoid disassembling this unit if possible.
Let me know how you make out. Don
