25 HP Mercury question

[SWAG]

Boat and motor new to me...been running great...19 year old son took it out to lake fishing and comes back saying boat ran good but when went to load it up prop was no longer turning...asked did you hit anything and all the other questions one may would ask...of course I get no for an answer...always had a Johnson so assumed it was just a sheer pin issue...ignorant to these Mercury props...so here is what I know so far:
1: Prop is good, looks brand new, rubber thing inside is fine
2: Cable was obviously trying to push rod into FWD when you moved it forward but rod was bending
3: Prop turned freely with your hand in both direction.
4: Took lower unit out just to see what I could find
5: In the meantime find a loose plastic handle (broken or loose) up near where the cable/rod shift motor into FWD and REV
6: Move the loose or broken handle out of way and cable seems to now be shifting rod correctly into FWD and REV
7: Replaced lower unit and now prop turns entire motor when turned by hand
8: Crank motor and prop is turning in FWD no matter if it is in FWD, N, or REV

Ignorant on this here motor...but to save the life of a 19 year old somebody give me something to go on here

1986 Model

[hntrpat1]

spun hub or shift rod is messed up sometimes the plastic piece that goes from linkage to main shift rod gets in a bind. Go ahead and change the water manifold gasket because it will leak water into the lower cylinder and burn up slowly. It will run fine until it looses compression. Aint no reboring those blocks and resleeving aint worth the cost.

[ScottyLee]

spun hub or shift rod is messed up sometimes the plastic piece that goes from linkage to main shift rod gets in a bind. Go ahead and change the water manifold gasket because it will leak water into the lower cylinder and burn up slowly. It will run fine until it looses compression. Aint no reboring those blocks and resleeving aint worth the cost.

just burnt mine up because I didn't know better. sucks because that was a good motor and coulda been fixed for little of nothing.

[SWAG]

Should there be a pin in top of shift rod coming from the lower unit? I see a hole in the top of the rod. Yes I think the plastic piece (up top) going to the main shift rod is the cause.

[miket]

Give me a call @ 662-893-5070 Southern Marine and I will try to talk you through it. I work on them every day. Easier for me to talk about it than trying to type it out.

[Trip]

I'd take Mr. Tabor up on his advice and give him a shout. Mercury asks his advice before coming out with anything new…