Yamaha 90HP/ 2 stroke. Avon Searider 540

[john4tee]

Please Help::
I have an Avon Searider 540 with a Yamaha 90 2 stroke engine which I am fairly sure is about 15-20 years old.
I am having trouble with the gear box. . its not engaging and it is making what I hope is not a 'death rattle.' I cannot figure out how to get into the gear box.
I have opened all the bolts but I cannot find an accessible connection on the gear selector 'rod'. I have compared it with similar models in the yard and they all have an easy access point to a connector nut which separates the rod easily, allowing the gear housing to be removed intact.
I cannot find any nut and,moreover, I cannot find anything that even looks like a connector. As far as I can gain access, the rod is uniform all the way down
Suggestions please.

(Incidentally I was surprised to find that the rod is mild steel and not stainless. It is fairly heavily rusted.)

[Nos4r2]

The gear selector is on a splined shaft. Undo all the bolts including the one under the trim tab and it should drop.

[john4tee]

Thank you Nos4r2. I have tried that. Nothing doing. There is a bolt under the anode which i removed also. The Back part is quite loose now but the forward part will not budge. I even tried brute force and ignorance!

[A1an]

I had a similar thing with a Mercury.

I ended up driving in axe heads as wedges. It soon gave up.

When you get it out check the splines carefully.

[Nos4r2]

Where exactly do you call the forward part? You might have a stuck driveshaft.

[john4tee]

The forward part is the part closest to the transom when the engine is in the vertical position. The back is the part furthest from the boat itself. The back part comes apart easily but its separation from the engine is retarded by the front part not coming with it. I can open the back part by about 1 centimetre but the front will not separate at all.
Thank you all for your help so far. Everything is useful!