Yamaha p 65?

Hi,
have an old yam p 65. Cleaned the carb out and replaced a few gaskets, new plug and it started, it didn't before. But then a slight leak started from plastic pipe connected to small bulb on bottom of carb but that does stop. Then i tried unsuccessfully to remove gearbox, had a lot of trouble getting the gearlinkage bolt back, eventually managed. But not sure if its correct. In neutral i can freely turn the propeller without any resistance, in gear resistance when i turn as psiton goes round. But whe i try to start propeller goes round with starter cable pull in neutral as well as in gear and it won't start now. Checked and it is sparking and there is fuel in carb. Does htis have some sort of in gear starting protection, and have i got the gearlinkage bolt in the correct place, i did move the internal rod (to bottom gearbox, up and down a bit and no position works), or does the carb need another clean out, but the fiorst time it was clean. Any ideas or help would be much appreaciated as this is the forst time i have done anything with an outboard apart from use it.

Thanks

Pete