[Venom17]

Need some help from my NCAngler brothers. I have to replace the drive shaft seal and the shift rod seals. I have looked and reseached all day about this and found a few different sites where they explain it. But the question I have is with the (2) shift rod 0-ring seals. Do they go inside the housing cover hole or just on the shift rod under the cover? Both look to be straight forward easy repairs. Just don't want to dive into this and not be able to do it and have to take the LU to a boat place and it set for 2-3 weeks before getting it back. I pick up all the parts today and want to be back on the water this Sat hopefully. The reason I am replacing them is because I went out yesterday to start getting the boat ready for a trip this weekend and low and behold there is white goo streaming from the weep hole and the water intake fins. Online said that these leaking are the cause by letting water into the prop shaft housing.

 

[Brenardo]

I have personally never tackled a repair just like this. But as with anything while taking it apart pay attention and photo your disassembly process. If you can take it apart then you can fix it and put it back together.

 

[trigger22]

As I was reading your post Brenardo's exact words came to my mind. I currently have a 2006 Merc 115 four stroke ripped apart. I took pictures of the whole process and all nuts bolts and washers went into individual ziplock baggies and attached to the component they belong to. A notepad is also a good idea and a shop manual never hurts even though they aren't always very descriptive.

 

[Mechanic Bob]

Check out Boats.net for a schematic of your lower unit. Whatever you do. make sure you clean the shaft and do not be shy with the grease. I have seen many motors that would not shift because of corrosion build up on the shifting shaft.

 

[Venom17]

well I had to come in and take a break. Here's what's left of the gear oil in the LU. As you can see not so good. I can do everything that needs to be done but the dang bottom drain screw is stuck. I can't turn it for nothing. Even tried using a screwdriver and crescent wrench and almost stripped the slot. So, has anybody got any ideas on getting it out? Don't really want to heat it up cause the LU is cast aluminum. If you got any shoot'em my way.

And Rye if you see this, I don't think we will be going out this weekend unless a miracle happens. I will shoot you a text also.

 

[Brenardo]

There is a tool that is a screwdriver that turns when hit with a hammer. It evades my mind what it is called.

 

[Brenardo]

http://m.harborfreight.com/impact-s...e-37530.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided

 

[Venom17]

Impact screwdriver, got one coming tomorrow from work hopefully. But was trying to get it drained and cleaned out tonight.

 

[Brenardo]

Slow steady hard pressure always worked for me.

I know it SUCKS trying to get things ready to go especially if you have something planned. But you really don't want to strip that out. So in this case patience for the right tools with be quicker.

 

[sundrop]

Use a butane/propane torch (plumbers torch). It can not get hot enough to damage the aluminium but will cook the corrosion off of the threads. I never work on an outboard without it. Heat it for several minutes then put a screwdriver in the slot and tap it firmly a few times with a hammer while trying to unscrew it. They also make a tool called an "impact driver" that used a spring load to ratchet the screw loose as you hit it with a hammer. Harbor freight has them cheap. http://www.sears.com/craftsman-impact-driver/p-00947641000P

If you have chewed it up too much for a screwdriver, drill a small hole in the center of it and use a proper screw extractor and heat to pull it free.

 

[Venom17]

Well, thank you sundrop. I got the bolt loose with actually a lighter(I couldn't find my torch attachment). So I drained the unit, blew it out with 15-20psi of air, replaced all the seals and was putting it back together when I realized I had forgotten to buy a new water pump gasket and gear oil. So, It sits with the plug still out so it can hopefully drain all that crap out over night. Plan to run it a few times and change the oil to make sure I got 99% of the water out of it. Hopefully if I can get the stuff tomorrow I can run it on Saturday and do my trip on Sunday. But we will see.

 

[Mechanic Bob]

I have seen the water get into the lower unit from under the water pump impeller. Also the seals at the prop shaft. The only way to really find the problem is to both pressure and vacuum check the lower unit.

Also use the MAPP gas as opposed to Propane, it get hotter. It is the gas in the Yellow bottle.

 

[sundrop]

The MAPP is hotter gas, but I always have a camp cylinder or 5 ...lol .. of propane around and just use that. Glad you got it off, go ahead and do your impeller etc and then when you button it up you will not need to do it again for awhile. Grease all your bolts as you reassemble it and you will not have issues next time you need to remove the L/U. Be sure you only use marine grade grease for anything you do on a boat. I prefer synthetics myself.

 

[Venom17]

Well just a follow up. Carried the boat out on Sunday and ran it. Let it set over night and no more oil/water mix coming out. Did a make shift vacuum test and it held 10psi. So the seals are set and not leaking. But went out today and low and behold got a flat tire. Man, can I get a break for once. And Sundrop, I had already replace the water pump about a month ago so I had to buy a new gasket only.