Stuck in gear!!! HHEELLLPP!

[kooler]

I have just bought an old yamaha 9.9 from a car booty. The gear shift rod was snapped at the top connecting end(the eye). I have sorted this now, but I (for some reason) pulled up the gear shift rod on the lower unit as i was preparing to attach it back on to the shaft, and now I cant change the gears back into neutral(the rod wont go up or down on the lower unit).

WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!

[boats.net]

That may what caused the linkage to break, it sounds to me like there is a problem in the lower unit with the shifter.

[kooler]

WOW, that was a quick reply, thankyou.

Now, what should I do now? Im no engineer thats for sure, but im willing to try!

[kooler]

HANG ON!!!

Before we go any further, I forget to say that: The guy I bought it off told me he had snapped the top off the gear shift rod when he was trying to undo the linkage to check the impeller. The linkage nut WAS stuck, so im thinking that this was the case. Also, I had already put the leg back together to test in a water but, and everything was fine gear wise. But I took the lower unit off again because no water was pumping, and I presumed I had put the impeller in incorrectly. When I sorted this out, that is when I pulled up the gear shift and it stuck in gear.
Sorry, should have been clearer on events.
So with that in mind, what now???