Re: Replacing the clutch dog on a 1957 35 hp johnson

[David Stanton]

New Clutch dogs are very expensive over $100 – take it apart first to see if it’s the dog or if something is wrong with the forked lever that moves the dog (I’ve seen some that have rusted so bad they don’t work right – happens if water gets in there and sits a long time). Compare the two ends of the dog – the reverse gear end usually has little or no wear so you can see what it should look like. I’ve had several clutch dogs go bad and have yet to replace one – I just turn it around on the shaft so the worn end mates with reverse gear – much less stress there due to lower speed, and they just about always work….that is….unless someone has already turned the dog around in the past – then both ends are worn. I’ve not had to replace a gear yet, but wear on the inside circumference where the clutch dog mates to it can trash a gear. The gear steel must be harder than the clutch dog because the dog tends to wear out first. Moving the shift lever slow wears the dog – it should be given a firm, fast shove, also shifting at too high of an RPM is bad. Also check your shift linkage to be sure the shift rod is fully pushing the dog all the way into the backside of the gear – improperly adjusted remote cables are the main culpret for too little shift linkage travel, and this wears the dog.
Dave