Looking for some guidance.....I removed the lower unit on my 1999 Johnson 115 (J115PXEE) and replaced the impeller in the water pump. Now, I have reinstalled the lower unit and it went on fine. It is all bolted on.....BUT, I can't reinstall the shift rod link retaining pin. To remove the lower unit you pull the pin then push the shift rod link toward the powerhead to disengage the shift rod. Now, I have pushed the shift rod link back as much as I can but the hole that the retaining clip goes in is not clear enough for the clip. Any ideas? I am wondering if maybe something is not lined up correctly? I guess my next step would be to drop the lower unit and try again. Is there a specific direction the shift rod should be? Maybe it is not lined up right? See photo of the shop manual page for this procedure.
Shift Rod problem
Threaded Mode