i cant get my lower unit back on

[nymack66]

Originally Posted by fromthedepths

first of all ,thanks for nymack66 for the tip getting it back on. i was trying to kill myself putting it back on by myself. ok now i have it back on and when i put it in reverse it starts to grind then stops. is there more than one way for the splines to line up on the shaft ? thanks in advance

To answer your question the spline connection to the power head has no right or wrong.
I am assuming you tried to shift whilst the engine was running on the hose ?
Any issues shifting into forward ?
Couple of things to check or note in regards to this problem.
First and foremost did you rotate the shift rod when the unit was off? If yes the adjustment on the rod is off it has to precise.
I recommend you have someone work the shifter into R and F (Engine NOT running) whilst you observe the travel of the shifter it has to moved fully into gear.
My trick is to unscrew and remove the cable and move it by hand observing the "travel" in both directions. When the cable is connected it MUST be the same if not trouble.
If the shift rod was NOT turned when removed chances are you can get by with adjusting the shifter cable if not you must adjust the rod to specs..