mercury outbored

[pj4]

i have an 82 mercury 25 xd motor. the reverse does not engage some times. it appears the adjuster does not move enought to fully engage the gears. the rod travels down as far as it can go. i believe the problem is a plastic piece in the lower end. i removed the prop and a washer behind it. looking in the housing i can see 3 screws holding a plate in. removed those and the piece wont come out. i shows to turn counterclock wise to? to remove? do i need to remove this piece to drop the lower end?

[This message has been edited by pj4 (edited 03-25-2004).]

[Valv]

PJ, I wouldn't touch lower unit unless you have a GOOD manual to help re-assemble it, they are not easy to work.

There is no plastic part inside lower unit, clutch dog and gears are all metal, they wear out, but not as easy.

[pj4]

no i do not want to sell at this time.just want to know how to remove the lower end to repair it. i do have many years of mechanical experience on cars, just not on outboards.

[76k20]

The bearing retaining nut is a plastic ring with lugs on it around the inside of the housing, It is what holds the lower unit in the housing, the threads are standard rh threads. It requires a special wrench to remove, the wrench is available at most marinas. I am unsure what to re-torque the retaining nut to during reassembly.