After a 30 minute run today, I pulled into the marina and when I tried to shift the starboard drive to neutral, it stayed in forward. No neutral, no reverse. The shift linkage was moving, and everything else seemed normal. I thought for sure I had stuck a cone clutch.

Tore into it tonight and the set screw for the shift rod in the back of the drive had come completely out and was laying on the ledge just waiting to get sucked into the upper gears Should there be locktite on this I assume? Any other precautions I should take before I button it back up? Everything else looks great, and the drive now shifts by hand normally.

I have always had a slight "rattle" in the shifter when I pull them into neutral, but had several people tell me that was normal. Could this have been related to the loose screw? I'm going to inspect the other one as well and make sure all is well.

For my sake of going into that range of power and boat, I'm glad you didn't.

Yes,,,, absolutely lock tite it,,,, I have seen this happen many times,,,, most aren't as lucky as you though !!!

Had it happen to me once...thought I broke a shift cable.

It should be loctited.....you're lucky it didnt drop in and try to swim between the
pinion and driven gears

I'm shocked it didn't get into the gears. I'm NEVER that lucky

Any pictures from when you tore it down?

Could take some, it's still apart, waiting on seals. Anything specific?

I need a beer.... lol

Had same problem, thought drive was history. Got home and found screw out. I first thought i had stripped the threads or screw. Went thru great detail checking both. Found both perfect. Went and loctite ed it back int..

Just whatever you saw and what needed fixed, etc. It helps to document stuff like this for future reference. Plus I have a feeling I'm going to be going into mine before long so anything that somebody has that did it already would be great.