DRIVE TECHNICAL QUESTION

[DUCATIF1]

Ok I am sure this will be easy one for you guys. As I have said in past I know nothing about boats and this question will confirm that. In an outboard set up there is obviously the engine which drives through some type of shaft and joints to a propeller. My question; where and how is drive either clutched or geared in between to allow switching from forward and reverse?? There are only one forward and reverse gears correct??? What absorbs impact of shifting directly from forward into reverse. In automotive tranny there is a clutch or both clutches and converter which absorbs this??? Sounds stupid but I have never seen cut away or blueprint of inner workings. I can't beleive that there are just gears and some sort of thrust bearing absorbing that type of load? Am I over thinking this?? Thanks agian I know where to get my boating answers. Anybody have cutaway pic??

[MOP]

The majority direct the power to the lower unit for shifting and have what is called a clutch dog that slides either back or forward to engage the gears to do the shifting. The clutch dog rides on and is splined to the shaft, the gears are driven by a pinion gear the drives two floating gears that rotate in different directions so the clutch do engage one or the other the prop changes direction.

Then there are cone shifters like Volvo and Merc Bravo units that accomplish the same thing using cone a clutch mounted in the upper gear case. They all drive two gears off of one and engage one or the other for gear change which on either unit should be done a very low speeds. I tried to find a cut away to no avail but the site below may be of help though all the views are exploded views.

http://hlsm.com/