704 control box problem

I was helping a friend install new control cables on a dual engine 704 control box. While trying to test for shift and throttle function, we noticed that the plastic piece covering the gears that move the control cables was damaged (cracked in multiple places). Also, with this damage the control box could not seem to find neutral, in order to start or shift properly. When the cables were shifted by hand, I could find forward neutral and reverse. Also, please note that this boat is converting from dual station back to single station, so if you know of any additional wiring needs to be disconnected from the dual station boxes (the shift and throttle of the dual station rig kit). Thanks for any info you can provide.

Casey
WPB, Fl