hard to get in gear

99 225 EVINRUDE FICHT
E225FPLEED
G04672865

this thing is super hard to get in and out of gear. i have to work the shifter back and forth to finally get it to go over into forward or reverse. the shifter wont move i have to keep wiggeling it to get it to go into gear. then once i get it in gear when i come in and want to take it out the lever goes into the nuetral position but it stays in gear. i have to move it back into reverse then back to nuetral, to get it to quit pulling. do you guys think this is a linkage that i can adjust or is something froze up or bent? just some history, i blowed the lower unit out last year, and the shop put a different rebuit unit on my motor. this started after that, but has gotten alot worse. when i got it back it was a little hard to get in gear but now it is getting almost impossible.

Remove the shift cable from the motor and shift the motor by hand. If it is stiff, then the engine linkage ans bushings under the throttle bodies may be corroded or the vertical shift rod from the gearcase is tight at the oring. It's rare but there could be an internal gearcase problem also.

Move the throttle contol and see it the cable is stiff.