Replacing the clutch dog on a 1957 35 hp johnson

[dobber]

hello everyone, I’m going to try and fix this myself. I’ve never taken any kind of engine apart, so i am little hesitant. there are so many different videos and advice on how to do this. can anyone recommend a certain video or literature which aptly describes the right way to change a clutch dog. I assume i will need to order the following parts:

lower unit replacement gasket kit
clutch dog

someone also mentioned the forward gear might be damaged and to maybe fix that while I’m down there.

thanks

[crosbyman]

this is a basic video to help pout.. your gearcase is somewhat similar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCkpGD4bgDI

may has well change all the seals incl shift rod seal

vintageoutbaord.com kits probaly have all you need to close it up tight

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[1aquaholic]

I would suggest you post your location and see if anyone from the club is close to you. They can help you and tutor you. This is a great club, and there are many people that will help you out if you ask! Especially since you don’t have much mechanical experience.
1Aquaholic

[wyo307]

It is a pretty easy job and not much to be scared of just take your time and pay attention to how everything comes out of there especially where the little shims are installed and you’ll be fine. Some permatex anaeobic gasket maker between the two halves of the gear case helps to seal it up a little better. If you get in there and have questions I would imagine most people on here have done that job before so ask away.

[outbdnut2]

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

[RICHARD A. WHITE]

Check here and in my opinion do the job right:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/0375783-375783 … 1w&vxp=mtr

$50 + shipping, change all the seals and do the job right so you won’t have to return later to "fix" the fix.

http://www.richardsoutboardtools.com
classicomctools@gmail.com

[fleetwin]

quote 1Aquaholic:

I would suggest you post your location and see if anyone from the club is close to you. They can help you and tutor you. This is a great club, and there are many people that will help you out if you ask! Especially since you don’t have much mechanical experience.
1Aquaholic

This is excellent advice. In my opinion, doing this job correctly is not as easy as many (along with how to videos) would have you believe. Sure, it looks easy, but getting one of these clam shell gearcases properly sealed up again is a delicate and precise task indeed. This is best described as a "zero tolerance" repair. Even the slightest water leak will eventually lead to problems and gearcase failure. There are special tools required to do the job, and some prior experience is usually a good thing.
I guess the best way to describe this project might be to compare it to a slight oil leak in a car engine. A car engine has a dipstick, the oil level is easily checked, and topped off if necessary. We usually don’t worry much about the slight oil leaks that develop in an older car engine because of this. There is no real easy way to check the oil level in an outboard gearcase, trying to add oil is a pain as well. There is one other factor that must be considered in the case of the outboard gearcase as well. Let’s just say you were vigilant in checking gear lube level frequently, and found it to be "full". The question is: "full of what"? Water is heavier than gear lube and sits in the bottom of the gearcase, so a what appears to be a full gearcase might be filled mostly with water.
And yes, you will probably need more parts than just a clutch dog, probably a forward gear as well. And, before disassembly, you will want to attempt to determine why the clutch dog failed. New clutch dog and gears won’t last long if there is a problem with the linkage/controls that caused the initial failure.
Once the system has been checked for adjustment/wear problems, sure, go ahead and pull/disassemble the gearcase after looking at a manual or watching a video. Where are you located, hopefully there is an experienced member nearby who is willing to help….
Don

[dobber]

well i had my mechanic take apart the lower unit and reverse the gears, that did not work
then i ordered a whole new /used lower unit from eBay, the seller had an excellent rating and said the lower unit was taken apart and is in perfect condition. well i had my mechanic put it on, i got in the water and the boat would not go into gear at all so the mechanic said that the lower unit was not good so now i ordered a new gear set of eBay and my mechanic is going to use the new gears and the original unit and hopefully after 6 months i will be able to get out on the river,. my mechanic said there is only one way to install the lower unit so he must have done it right

[chris-p]

Are you shifting manually at the motor or with remote controls? If with remote controls, did you try manually?

[frankr]

quote dobber:

well i had my mechanic take apart the lower unit and reverse the gears, that did not work
then i ordered a whole new /used lower unit from eBay, the seller had an excellent rating and said the lower unit was taken apart and is in perfect condition. well i had my mechanic put it on, i got in the water and the boat would not go into gear at all so the mechanic said that the lower unit was not good so now i ordered a new gear set of eBay and my mechanic is going to use the new gears and the original unit and hopefully after 6 months i will be able to get out on the river,. my mechanic said there is only one way to install the lower unit so he must have done it right

I’ll respect the mechanic, but yes there is only one way to install the lower unit. Did I miss it somewhere? Has anything been said about the shift linkage? Clevis at upper end of shift rod loose? Shifter handle/shaft loose & sloppy where it goes through the exhaust housing? Your comment about not shifting at all makes me wonder.

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