How an Evinrude gearbox works - outboard gear shifting - forward / reverse

--Part 2: a closer look at the gears - • How an Evinrude gearbo...
-update: I recently replaced the control cables on both of my motors, thus having to tune them. I noticed that if you have a very tough, or loud sounding connection when changing gears, this may be due to overly high rpm at idle. To fix this turn the control cable adjustment so that at idle, when switching forward / reverse its smoother. You do not want the motor switching at too high speed as it can the damage gears. You will need to find the exact balance, if idle is too slow the engine may die when shifting into gear.
This gearbox is from a 1967 Johnson 33HP Seahorse motor. That may seem old, however this part of the engine has pretty much not changed since; at least in medium to small HP motors.
General information on how outboard motor gearboxes work
--The lower unit houses the gearcase / gearbox / transmission / propeller on most engines.

[@kenp3L]

Clear, concise, no music, no video or audio effects, reasonably steady camera, and best of all, no selfi-cam. Thank you.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

What, you think professional TV shows with that stuff in it are "crap"? What would have been "wrong" with the narrator showing himself? What's the matter with a little music if it doesn't get in the way of anything? What would be so "bad" about a video effect if it helped illustrate the point? Duhhhhrrr...

[@KekusMagnus]

@@HelloKittyFanMan it would waste my time

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@KekusMagnus: No it wouldn't. Music at a low volume under the narration doesn't take extra time to listen to. If there was an occasional dissolve or other type of transition from one setup or scene to the next, any little bit of extra time to do that over a cut is negligible. And if there was a 3D graphic of this gearbox setup that served as an exploded view or a cutaway, etc., that could only make it even more clear. But besides that, you're not the person I was asking, so I'm really looking to see what the OP says in response.

[@GooogleGoglee]

💯

[@ordiv12345]

GREAT TEACHER!

[@mikec3260]

This video was so well done that I feel like an expert on something I have never seen or heard of before until now. What you describe makes total sense and after reading through comments you have helped several. Nicely done! Subbed because this was so very informative!

[@John-qm8jj]

I installed a 1988 40 hp Johnson myself, cables, everything. I had forward drive issues and was going to tear into. Thank God I watched your video. You were 100% right. I heard a clunk and it wouldn't engage, but reverse was fine. I ended up adjusting the cables over the course of a few trial runs and now it's perfect. Thank you man!!!

[@darrelldixon9044]

this image brings back many memories. My father had a side business doing outboard motor repair during the 60's through 80's. I was in grade school when I was taught how to "Split the Lower Unit", and replace the rubber tubular gasket and rear seal. It is a good idea to check the condition of the lower unit lube when considering a used outboard or even inboard I/O Drive. if fishing line gets wrapped around the prop shaft between the seal and prop it can destroy the seal, also early OMC "Split Case" lower units can have dried out gasket between the upper and lower halves. In either case the lower unit will have water penetration turning the heavy weight lube to a "Thin Milky Consistency". Unfortunately if kept in this condition for an extended period of time the internal bearings, gears, drive shaft, shift fork, and clutch cog will become rusted, sometimes seriously pitting the metal, and locking the lower unit in neutral/forward or reverse. it is always advisable to service the lower unit by checking the condition of the lube, draining by removing the upper and lower drain plugs allowing all the old lube to drain. Then using the recommended lower unit lube fill from the lower drain hole, until it comes up to/out the top drain hole. Then install the top plug with the tube or pump hose nozzle of the lube still in the lower hole, and quickly remove it and install the lower plug Installing the upper plug should create a "Vacuum" as the lube tries to drain when following up by installing the lower plug. There are also nylon or sometimes rubber washers or O-Rings on these plugs and should also be replaced when servicing. The key is to not allow any water to enter the lower unit which can cause serious damage. This appears to be a very old (1960's) OMC (Outboard Marine Company: Johnson/Evinrude) "Spit-case" lower unit. Later Outboard motors and Inboard I/O Drives are "One Piece" and not split. The internals must be serviced/repaired by removing the prop and rear bearing carrier. Mercury/Mariner Outboard Motors and Outdrives require specialized tools to disassemble/reassemble. Also Bearing preloads must be set to specific values. Motors used seasonally or in salt water should be flushed with a hose/fresh water and a "cupped headset" type attachment or bolt-on water intake plate on some models. To "winterize" this should be accomplished and the motor ran until all the gas is run out of the carb(s) there is also a "Spray Fogger" which can be sprayed in the throat(s) of the carbs during this process. Also fuel stabilizer should be added during this process to protect the fuel system from corrosion. Run the motor with the fuel line disconnected until all the fuel is ran through. Also either add the proper amount for fuel stabilizer to the tank, or drain completely if it will be unused for a longer period of time. This 'Prevention" can save on serious fuel system issues later on when the motor is returned to operation. Another common problem is the "Water Pump Impeller". a rubber bladed/spoked component which is contained in the Water Pump Housing at the top of the lower unit, driven by the drive shaft. it is "Offset" in the housing creating voids between the blades which cycle from larger to small during rotation causing the water to be pressurized and pumped up through the powerhead or inboard motor. these become dried and brittle especially in stored in hot environments, and degrade over time. If the motor no longer pumps cooling water upwards the the Impeller blades are worn, or may even be separated completely. These require a tight seal within the Impeller Housing (Sides/Top & Bottom), to operate properly. Also if they are removed to check the condition and reused then they MUST BE REINSTALLED the same orientation as they came out of prior or the blades will be bent in the opposite direction causing complete failure when they are turned by the drive shaft. They must all bend in the same direction as determined by the powerheads driveshaft direction. On motors of this vintage and even newer, generally to replace them a new "Impeller Kit" needs to be purchased which generally included the impeller, top and bottom plates, and a "Half Moon" or other type of key to drive the Impeller with the driveshaft. Generically you must access the shift rod coupler (typically located on the upper part of the lower unit leg below the powerhead, and behind an access plate on the side) This connection couples the Shift Lever to the Shift Rod going down to the lower unit. then all the bolts are removed which attach the Lower Unit to The Leg. Generally the drive shaft is splined and will come out of the bottom of the Crank Shaft in the Power Head. With all the lower unit bolts removed, Shift Rod Coupler disconnected the Lower unit should "Drop" down and can be removed. Typically the outboard motor must be tilted up to allow clearance to get the Drive Shaft and Shift Rod out of the Leg Housing. Once removed the Impeller Housing should be visible on the top of the Lower Unit allowing removal of the bolts securing the Water Pump/Impeller Housing and the housing itself. The new "Impeller Kit" can then be installed replacing the worn or damaged components. The Impeller should be lubricated as directed in the included instructions, or Motor's Service Manual during installation. It's typically best to replace the Impeller Components even if they look serviceable as it is now all accessible. This small price of prevention can save on catastrophic power head failure if the Impeller fails and the Power Head overheats. The reassembly is just a reverse process of removal, but care should be taken to not damage the top splines of the drive shaft or powerhead crank shaft. feeding the drive shaft and shift rod up the leg and into place can be challenging sometimes, and may require moving the shift lever forward or reverse to get the coupler connected DONT DROP THE BOLT! Also you may need to rotate the flywheel on the powerhead to get the splines to line up. Patience here can save many headaches. Never rotate the drive shaft from the power head in the reverse direction as this can cause some or all of the blades on the impeller to bend the wrong direction. Though this is generalized many outboards use a similar water pump system. Larger Inboard/Outboard motors may be much more involved to access the Water Pump Housing and components as the Outdrive must pivot to raise and lower the Outdrive, and are driven horizontally from the Inboard motor to the pivot point and then down to the Lower Unit Housing. And like I said may require very specialized tools sold by Mercury and OMC or other manufacturers, specific for the application used. I know this was a long winded Comment, but hopefully someone may get some use out of it, especially if the water pump stops pumping and you may wonder why. Blockage is also a possibility within the Water Passages, especially if the motor operates in a salt water environment and isn't properly flushed after operation. Also NEVER RUN THE MOTOR WITHOUT A WATER SUPPLY! Serious damage to the Impeller, or over heating the power head likely will occur... Also these steps should be done "On Land", Watching a bolt or other component sink to the bottom of the lake can be horrifying!

[@ReconRokon]

I do videos on my channel to try and help people with certain things. Kind of a "pay it forward" type deal. Thanks for posting this. Excellent visual and explanation of this! On point, clear and concise. 5 years later people like me are just finding your video!

[@macklinjasper3802]

When putting drive shaft back in the lower unit on my 35hp Johnson do I need to release the oil pressure because it feels as if something is pushing it back up.

[@rafetamc8198]

The video is great, I had no idea how the gear shift works. Without music and without noise, work that has cleared many of us who are here of many doubts. Thank you !!

[@DHMovie100]

Good info, I always wondered how this worked. Thanks for taking the time and effort in making this video.

[@TOURMANBOB]

Excellent video. It clearly shows how things work without excessive talk or music. Well done sir !

[@amit8690]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaXOcqKejdugp5I

[@renegademind1833]

Yes, yapping and music, so irritating. I like this guy.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@renegademind1833: You think professional TV shows are so "bad"?

[@renegademind1833]

@@HelloKittyFanMan Most are too yappy dumb stuff.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@renegademind1833: No they're not. You don't know what you're talking about. You've never seen any show like How It's Made or MythBusters or This Old House that get their demonstration points across even though they have music and plenty of talking, which talking they need to have in order to make their points?

[@kyzor-sosay6087]

When we raced outboards,we removed the reverse gear for better holeshot.Seemed to help,need every advantage you can think of when racing.😉 Excellent video,thanks for your time.

[@franktaylor7617]

Learn something new everyday.... everyday I'm not sleeping.😁 Thanks. I'm not a boat guy but always interested in learning.

[@whorayful]

Another you tube fact that I never even knew I needed to know, but will now be forever thankful that I do. As you say so single, never even thought that it all happened down in the bottom of the leg, always assumed the transmission was up the top under the motor with a right angle bevel drive at the bottom.

[@harryvanhoo7235]

Thank you for this illustration. It is one thing to know how it probably works and quite a nice thing to actually see it. Cheers.

[@EMonzon]

It's as fascinating as simple! Thank you

[@simongkay]

Excellent video. No messing about or self congratulation. Just straightforward easy to understand information. Perfect!

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

When have you ever supposedly seen a video where somebody was like, "Congratulations to me..." etc., other than something like maybe thanking their viewers for certain milestones?

[@coreycarpenter2489]

I knew nothing about this before starting this video. Now I know a little more. Thanks

[@Conservative01]

Best video on explaining on how something works. Nice job! Thank you

[@d0peshow]

Really cool to see/know what is actually going on. Great video! Thanks!

[@fajeelaniyas3596]

ttteyus wdc

[@aviationworld3858]

Awesome video!! I always wondered how the inside gears of a motor works. Thanks!

[@ramchandra9197]

ं

[@rudyruiz9521]

Thank you, I'm pretty well versed in all small engine repair, except lower unit stuff on boat motors. I've never done much more than a sheer pins and fluid. My Mercury 115 won't engage in reverse 99% of the time. Appreciate you taking the time to post.

[@mikldude9376]

Wow , that is such an elegantly simple device , it is almost fool proof in its operation , thanks for the heads up ;) .

[@DaveBuildsThings]

And that's everyone is how you do a "how it works" video. I found that so amazing! Liked and subscribed.

[@thomasjefferson5727]

You put a lot of effort into getting this set up. Thanks.

[@maccliff2115]

WoW, that is ridiculously simple. Great video. Thank you for posting.

[@HafizAzmi]

Really appreciate your hard work to make me understand, thank so much

[@mawardiharahap4671]

Hafiz Azmi

[@thepincushionman7063]

Hafiz Azmi Thank you. This is Poppy Harlow from Pew News, the most reliable news in KZbin.

[@vetterfellow]

Thank you for the hard work and easy to understand demonstration.

[@gheumann]

I was an OMC/Evinrude/Johnson Master Technician. You're right that people don't understand this. But you really didn't explain half of it. First, the "clutch" as you call it has teeth ("dogs") that interlock with teeth on the gears to lock one or the other gear to the center splined shaft. And second that failure to engage those fully (bad adjustment) and with some firmness creates that "clunking" sound going into gear and can wear the dogs until their mating edges become rounded, and then the engine easily jumps OUT of gear. Glad you added "part 2" so people can see the faces of the clutch and gears!

[@cenkaetaya]

Thanks for adding additional info; yes "Part 2" goes more in-depth and I have a few other videos I recommend checking out showing the driveshaft / props haft / etc. very clearly.

[@wpowerwagon]

Thanks for sharing your video and letting people know how it works, thanks again

[@NoChrReq]

Perfect illustration, very easy to understand. Thank you

[@BigSaltwaterFishing]

This is such a good video I have a starter project I’m doing on my channel and this will help so much thanks

[@user-yg7mf7vn6y]

Thank you very much 😊 nobody could explain this to me so easily

[@smirkinatu5512]

Thank you for recording and posting this educational video.

[@ballhawk387]

Well done, a very clear, crisp explanation. Yes, it does not look difficult, but man, those gear parts are horrifically expensive. Much more than an entire good used power head or complete lower unit, for most engines.

[@cenkaetaya]

Yes I recommend buying old parts and taking them apart.

[@FishHD]

Great Video Explanation with Simple way

[@DROHNENDANIEL]

Interesting. Never saw it like that 👍

[@placitas52]

Thanks

[@saidtayara9046]

Ray

[@jj-cy9tf]

Very clearly mentioned the action. Thank you so much.

[@donavanhillman7607]

This is exactly what I needed to know. Thank you!!!

[@garyhahn1423]

Excellent video my man......thanks for doing this.

[@petcatznz]

Very interesting. Just one small point, that part is not a clutch, it's a gear selector. In this case a forward and reverse gear selector. Thanks for posting.

[@pierrebourassa3584]

Merci, now i will visualize that each time i use the shifter!

[@BTS-gu4iz]

I have been wondering how this works since I was a kid. Thanks!

[@TeacherBrunoOneil]

thank you for sharing your knowledge. i had a clue of it but i didnt know for sure...highly informative your video.

[@splagyetsi3287]

Short and simple explanation. Very good.

[@paulsosbee2905]

good vid, well done thanks for not talking about your family or some stuff for a few minutes before you got to the point.

[@garrettzucker2894]

Lol I hate videos where people just ramble about useless stuff, this was great & I'm amazing by how this works. Thinking about it in m yhead I thought it would be some complex difficult to understand mechanism but this is genius.

[@arslanbukhari2709]

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[@newjargon1697]

Nice vid I never even questioned how that worked

[@joradcliffe565]

Glad to see a video on this topic but somewhat incomplete description, leaving the viewer to work out that the two pairs of pegs on one of the clutch components have to engage in recesses in either forward or reverse gear rings. Or so it would appear. Closer inspection with the camera would have helped.

[@ibrahimfouad8940]

for acentry I was un able to understand the mechanism .but after watching this it looked so easy to understand.

[@marcelagarciaaraya1992]

Lol0opl0o0l0yjuj0ok00pml000mmllpllmomlok pomm

[@mendiviloutdoorstv]

Great video! Plain and simple!

[@petersalmon2695]

Brilliantly explained, brilliant tutorial, thank you very much.

[@jimjybe]

Great illustration!

[@Marcosmercado67]

Great and easy explanation. Thank you!

[@aap71890]

great video, simple, helpful and to the point

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Good demonstration and explanation about 20 years ago I restored a Wooden Chris Craft Cabin Cruiser i had to pull a blown motor and replace it when I got it out I hauled the Paragon transmission home with me to do a visual inspection on my workbench I had a lot of fun spinning it and shifting to make sure it was worthy of installing in the vessel with a new motor its funny because. I ran into a old timer boat repairman and restoration guy who told me he had a guy that could get any parts I might need and I asked him if I should have it rebuilt by that shop the guy laughed at me and said if you think it’s working correctly put it back in the boat those old ones run forever save your money ive sold that boat and still see it around to the best of my knowledge it’s still performing in her original spot made to a “new 283 Chevy small block raw water cooled motor painted Chris Craft Blue like it was inn1964

[@WereAllThatBored]

Ha that’s identical to my ATVs drivetrain. Stupid simple. Had no idea. Great vid.

[@amit8690]

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[@gregoriomeliado3962]

@@amit8690 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@colinbartlett2565]

Simplest video I’ve ever seen , explained in simple terms. Thank you so much

[@dickdefilade1058]

Brilliant video! Well done!

[@adityabiker9923]

Thank you, sir. Very enlightening.

[@TheDuffman1986]

Brilliant information, my engine wasn’t going forward, just into neutral and reverse, took the gearbox apart n fixed what I thought was the problem but after assembling it back it now goes into neutral and forward but not reverse 😅

[@TheDuffman1986]

Any solution to why this may be happening??

[@integr8er66]

The Key here is that there is actually NO friction material, it is a solid metal dog on a solid metal gear and THAT is why you never slowly ease a boat into gear, you just pop it in or out as fast as possible so you are not banging the dogs on the gear and beating them to death.

[@yelyab1]

Absolutely 101% correct.

[@hammerheadize]

Very interesting and informative video, thanks for sharing

[@DevAlexOpenSource]

Who are that people which dislike such useful videos? Thanks for authors! And like for the video!

[@satishindla5350]

It's very informative video ...with out any back ground music it's clear to understand how gear box or transfer case will work..

[@friscokid66]

Even as a kid this was not hard to figure out. What did baffle me is how you can suddenly engage the gears--teeth to teeth--at high speeds without complete mayhem.

[@cenkaetaya]

At idle its not that fast... but still. It is a very rugged mechanism. You could literally call it stone age.

[@darrelldixon9044]

Plus as described above the prop allows for "Slippage" in the water, and you would never want to shift into gear above idle.

[@jplife7773]

Thank for the information

[@borislavjovelic1460]

Q to you

[@saskiavanhoutert3190]

Like the explanation thanks for it, some young engineers will appreciate it

[@muhsinkaya7722]

U78

[@romelvaldivia2654]

I am new at this motor boats things and it helps a lot, great video easy to understand

[@marcelagarciaaraya1992]

O9i9inkok00kok00t jj nnn

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

Thks great little demo

[@lexleon]

Grinded my gear for years on that one.

[@nlo114]

I've just learned something new today, thank-you! :-)

[@sail4life]

Like a basic version of a motorcycle gearbox. That's also a constant mesh system with 'floating' output gears shifted by a fork.

[@su5119]

Thanks for making this .

[@electronictaimur7142]

Bahut bariki se bataya h 🎩 😁 👍Great!

[@outboardfixer]

GREAT video...so many people think the drive shaft SWITCHES direction in reverse. That would mean the ENGINE would, all of a sudden, switch direction WHILE RUNNING....not to likely.

[@marlordOfDoriath]

Simple and smart... Thanks!

[@mccc4559]

I've come upon an intelligent video thanks to you.

[@luiztosk]

not sure why I'm watching this, been in a boat only once in my life lol but nice explanation!

[@get-the-lead-out.4593]

Thanks....finally found a video where someone actually took one apart and showed how it worked versus just people telling how it works and using drawings that weren't that clear.

[@RC-uo3ds]

Lot of thanks for making us understand ...... keep it up !!!!! .

[@sebastienarribe3810]

Clarity at its best!

[@mtt27u]

Thanks for explaining the mechanism

[@DarkNightmare34]

Finally, KZbin give me a good recommendation video...

[@pedroramirez5442]

Muy bueno el vido seria posible que loexplcaran en español soy pedro ramirez ciudad ojeda venezuela gracias x que es muy interesant

[@jpreffre4541]

Bjr j'ai pas tout compris c'est dommage mais c'était très intéressant de voir le système d'une embase c'est très rare de voir un tuto sur les entrailles d'un moteur hors bord merci pour le partage👍👍

[@BayuSandi]

Thank you for the information

[@Starfireaw11]

This is exactly how the transfer case in my Alvis Saracen works too.

[@AirGunnerrr]

Great Video Man

[@F-Man]

Very similar to synchronizer rings in an automotive gearbox. Cool!

[@Silent_Shadow]

Its crazy how different yet so similar. Autos, Boats, planes. They have all adopted something from the others. Even if its just simple rivets, to engine tech. ENGINEERING=❤😍

[@wolffirewalker9878]

Um No Because that is Not a transmission there aren't any synchronizers Also it's a boat not a car You have alot to learn about mechanical engineering

[@F-Man]

Wolf Firewalker I said similar, not identical. You have a lot to learn about the English Language.

[@blahblah8370]

Thank you for explaining this!

[@prasenjit9724]

Excellent explanation

[@Gator_Bait_Motorsports]

Cool! I learned something today :-)

[@hope4surf]

So COOL! Thanks!

[@adambergendorff2702]

Great explanation!

[@UltimateSeduction]

Well, easy straight forward gear, i love simple solutions.

[@zandatsu07]

wow great video man thanks for this

[@MoMo2E]

Tnx a lot for sharing your knowledge online

[@ooffoo3458]

Very Good explanation. Thank you

[@peta1001]

It is fascinating how many people get here just to hate everything. I feel sorry for all of these thumbs-down people. For this guy...Yes...practical, simple, necessary to understand the principle of this 90 degree conversion.

[@boygrasagarage6243]

Thanks for sharing.. I'vr learned a lot.. God bless..

[@ROLLINHOLY]

Thank you! From Canada!

[@stevew6141]

Awesome explanation thank you 🙏

[@moabbas5525]

I finally get it !!!! You are awesome!!!!!!!!!

[@garyware9899]

Great simple video.

[@StupidEngineer]

wow amazing mechanism.