Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

[dls322]

Ok, so i'm ready to install my new SEI lower end on my 1990 bayliner with 4.3 merc and alpha one gen one. The shop took it apart for me. So i line everything up and it slides up but it seems like the splines aren't alligned and it won't go up all the way. The book says to rotate the upper shaft to align them....how do i do that? Also the verticle shaft on my lower unit doe snot turn by hand, is that normal? The bottom prop shaft turns fine. What gear should i have the lower unit it....forward i assume?
Also i noticed a washer not seated correctly on the upper unit, i took it out and it has a groove in it, and a streteched out spring rin also came out...spring is shot basically. What parts are these?

Thanks for the help....trying to her on the water for the first time before fall!

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

Ok, so i'm ready to install my new SEI lower end on my 1990 bayliner with 4.3 merc and alpha one gen one. The shop took it apart for me. So i line everything up and it slides up but it seems like the splines aren't alligned and it won't go up all the way. The book says to rotate the upper shaft to align them....how do i do that? Also the verticle shaft on my lower unit doe snot turn by hand, is that normal? The bottom prop shaft turns fine. What gear should i have the lower unit it....forward i assume?
Also i noticed a washer not seated correctly on the upper unit, i took it out and it has a groove in it, and a streteched out spring rin also came out...spring is shot basically. What parts are these?

Thanks for the help....trying to her on the water for the first time before fall!

Ok, the lower and upper will have to be in forward to reinstall. If you have the lower in forward by holding ccw pressure on the prop till it locks, then slightly turning the prop ccw (with some pressure) you will turn the upper shaft to align the lower to the upper, but have to be careful to keep it in forward and not kick it out of gear.

Not sure what washer you are referring to. There is a seal at the bottom of the upper where the lower shaft goes into. That seal might be deteriorated and is what you see. Look and see if part of the seal is still in there. Metal outer half of the seal. You can pull out that seal and using a socket and extension of equal size to the diameter of the seal gently tap the new one into place. That seal is sold separately by a Mercruiser dealer. Make sure to check which way the seal is installed.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

The book says to rotate the upper shaft to align them....how do i do that?

perhaps use the prop shaft. ccw only. the lower must be shifted into fwd.

Also the verticle shaft on my lower unit doe snot turn by hand, is that normal?

while i don't have a new sei drive. after i R&R my impeller with a new one. the vertical drive shaft can turn very stiffly. i think due to the dry impeller being rotated and the friction it causes w/o water.

The bottom prop shaft turns fine. What gear should i have the lower unit it....forward i assume?

yep, the lower in fwd. the helm in fwd. if the prop shaft turns fine and the vertical drive shaft don't turn, i'd think yer in neu. easy to do too. once in fwd. if ya touch the prop at all cw, it'll shift out of fwd. real easy.

Also i noticed a washer not seated correctly on the upper unit, i took it out and it has a groove in it, and a streteched out spring rin also came out...spring is shot basically. What parts are these?

only washer i can think of is the one that sits on top of the shift shaft in the lower. the spring likely came from the very bottom seal in the upper. this seal is easily replaced. pry it out and smash(with finesse) a new one in..

thems my best guesses....

 

[dls322]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

Thanks for the replies. I did some searching and it seems to be a garter spring. I'll bring it into the boat store and ask them about it.
So you are saying that if i put the lower unit into forward....then the prop shaft should turn clock wise or counter clock wise? Is a normal direction drive. When i play around with it will either freely spin both ways or spin in one direction and stop in the other. Your saying that if i put it into forward and spin against when the prop shaft stops, that i should be able to turn the verticle shaft?

I don't want to screw something up....I love how the directions assume i know what i am doing!! haha

Worse come to worse i could call SEI.

Thanks guys

 

[ziggy]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

So you are saying that if i put the lower unit into forward....then the prop shaft should turn clock wise or counter clock wise?

for a standard rotation drive. when in
fwd.-prop locks ccw, ratchets cw
neu.- prop free wheels w/o sound or feel
rev.- prop locks cw, ratchets ccw

Your saying that if i put it into forward and spin against when the prop shaft stops, that i should be able to turn the verticle shaft?

yes, when in fwd. turning the prop shaft ccw will rotate the vertical drive shaft. that's how ya align the splines when they won't mate..

I did some searching and it seems to be a garter spring. I'll bring it into the boat store and ask them about it.

they'll know what ya got. my local dealer had that seal readily on hand...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

That spring is from the driveshaft seal. Same thing happened to me this spring. #10 here: http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...br=80&bdesc=DRIVESHAFT+HOUSING+AND+DRIVESHAFT

Easiest thing to do is pull the upper, pry out the seal with a long screwdriver, (access through the exhaust chamber). Drive in the new one, then reassemble the upper and lower on the bench (much easier).

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

Yes the spring you see came from the seal. Here's a pic of an old unit where the seal rusted out completely. But you can see where it is supposed to go:

Here's what I pryed out compared to the new seal. (The size difference is an optical illusion):

 

[dls322]

Re: Easy Lower End Question....New SEI...I'm a fool

Thanks guys!!!

You all kick butt!!!

Have a great weekend...hopefully i will see you on the water soon