Mercury 40 Service Manual page 567

9. Shift gear housing into forward gear position. In forward gear the gear housing will
ratchet when propeller shaft is turned clockwise. Resistance will be felt when propeller
shaft is rotated counterclockwise.
10. Apply Loctite Grade 271 on threads of gear housing retaining bolts.
NOTE: If, while performing Step 11, the driveshaft splines will not align with the crankshaft
splines, place a propeller onto propeller shaft and turn it counterclockwise as the gear
housing is being pushed toward driveshaft housing.
NOTE: During installation of gear housing, it may be necessary to move the shift block (lo-
cated under cowl) slightly to align upper shift shaft splines with shift shaft coupler splines.
11. Position gear housing so that the driveshaft is protruding into driveshaft housing.
12. Move gear housing up toward driveshaft housing, while aligning upper shift shaft splines
with shift shaft coupler splines, water tube with water tube seal, and crank shaft splines
with driveshaft splines.
13. Install 4 fasteners and washers (two each side).
14. Install locknut and washer.
15. Torque bolts and locknut (or nuts only if applicable) to specified torque.
7
a -
b -
16. Check shift operation as follows:
IMPORTANT: If shift operation is not as described, preceding, the gear housing must
be removed and the cause corrected.
90-828631R3 MARCH 1999
b
Loctite "271" (92-809819)
Fasteners and Washers (2 Each Side)
Locknut and Washer
Bolt or Nut Torque
40 lb-ft (54 Nm)
Place shift lever in forward gear. Gear housing should ratchet when propeller shaft is
turned clockwise. Resistance should be felt when propeller shaft is turned counter-
clockwise.
Place shift lever in neutral. Propeller shaft should rotate freely in either direction.
While rotating propeller shaft, place shift lever in reverse gear. Resistance should be
felt when propeller shaft is rotated in either direction.
BIGFOOT GEAR HOUSING
a
53922
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