Help, My 1999 BF90 outboard is having trouble shifting neutral too forward and neutral too reverse. I have checked the shift cable by disconnecting it from the engine and it is not sticking at all, smooth as silk. I then tried to shift the linkage by hand and could not; if I put some leverage on the shift lever it will shift, but it is extremely hard. Next I dropped the lower unit to take it out of the equation, and it is still very hard. The problem seems to be somewhere in the housing between the shift arm in front of cylinder head where it enters the steering tube and where the shift rod connects from the lower unit. I tried spraying with very expensive penetrating oil but no luck. If there is a bad seal that is frozen around the shift shaft I would like to change it out but there is no way to get to it without removing the power head. There has to be an easier and cheaper way. ($950.00 to remove and replace the power head for $12.00 worth of parts). Any help will be appreciated.

you might need to drop the lower unit and get a pip and hit up the shift shaft rod
then you can lube up the shaft