71' Evinrude 18HP Fastwin Shift Linkage

I pulled the lower unit and replaced the impeller. When I removed it I had the shift in forward. When I reinstalled the lower after I got it all bolt back on I noticed the shifter isnt working properly. Forward is neutral, neutral is forward, and reverse is reverse. I removed it and tried to adjust and reinstall with the same results. Any advice? Thanks.

Remove the gearcase again. Note that there is a groove on your shift shaft on the gearcase. This groove is near the top of the shaft. This groove aligns with the lower hole in the brass connector on the upper shift shaft. You may have to lightly spread the connector open with a small screwdriver. Once aligned, slide the screw back in and tighten. This should take care of your issues since there was nothing wrong before you did the job.