Need help identifying this broken part in XR drive please
 

05 model Bravo XR
[ATTACH=CONFIG]522160[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]522161[/ATTACH]I was doing a routine drive service and had some steel flakes on the lower magnet. I pulled the top and rear caps to see if the gears were flaking and this piece fell off of the rear cap. It was covered in the green grease from the shift detend. I don't know if it originated from this area or it just ended up there. Any help in identifying it would be appreciated before I tear this drive apart. Was hoping to do some prop testing tomorrow. Might have to put on my spare. Thanks

Looks like a piece of the lock tab that holds the shift cable in

It shows wear marks on the inner arc like there was a shaft or someting running inside it.

It's too small to be any part of a bearing race. Only piece that makes sense to be where you found it is part of the lock on the shift linkage. Take a pic of the drive from the back

[ATTACH=CONFIG]522163[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]522164[/ATTACH]
Not sure these are going to help

Might it be a piece off the back cap .....where the detent ball is housed ?

It looks like it is a shim/spacer of some sort. There are obvious wear marks on the top and bottom sides and on the inner arc like something has been turning inside of it. The piece that I found looks like 1/3 of a flat washer that has peen pulled apart by something.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...ift+Components

#32

Radius is too small, I think it's #18

Man, I read that all wrong. Seems a little thick for 18 but....better than 32.

I took the piece to my local boat dealer and showed it to their drive guy. He told me that this piece is not a part of this drive. He thinks that it was a flat washer that got in there by mistake either before the drive was installed or when the rear cap was changed for the hydraulic steering. Thanks for the input and we will see what happens.

pull the drive off and check the shift linkage it looks alot like part of the lock that holds the cable. If it is then you probably have the shift adjustment way off also and wearing the shift cam and fork on the brass part of the gear. Also check to see if you have slop in the linkage where it is hinged in the back.