Suzuki outboard motors 1988 2003 repair manual., Page 291Get this manual
LOWER UNIT 8-23 See accompanying illustrations
CHECKING AND ADJUSTING TOOTH CONTACT (FORWARDPINION GEARS)
Top side toe cotact
Check tooth contact pattern using the following procedureI.Too correctly assess tooth contact, smear light coating of Prussian Blue compound on the convex surface of the forward gear2Install the propeller shaft and bearing housing assembly (minus the reverse gear and internal components)3Push the propeller shaft inward and hold it in that positionRotate the driveshaft clockwise 5-6 times by hand4Then pull out the propeller shaft and bearing housing and then check the gear tooth contact pattern5This is the optimum tooth contactDoing shim adjustment may be necessary to obtain this contact pattern6An example of incorrect top side toe contactTo correct this condition, decrease the forward gear shim thickness and slightly increase the pinion gear shim thicknessDo not set the tooth contact in this position (top side toe contact)Damage and chipping of the pinion and forward gear may result7, An example of incorrect bottom side toe contactTo correct this condition, increase the forward gear shim thickness and slightly decrease the pinion gear shim thicknessBottom side toe contact