AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

[Tmacular]

Ok so given this 70 degree weather were having here in Michigan I decided to uncover the boat today. I was changing a few seats out and inspecting a few things and when I went back to the motor I noticed my collar is broken in 2 spots. I proceeded to check the lower unit oil (which I filled new towards the end of last season) and all of my oil leaked out and nothing but watered down oil came out.. 80% water.

So now im lost, I dont know where to find parts for this motor or what I need for it. What happened to the oil I put in, did it leak out from the collar or are their seals behind the collar?

There were no indications of grinding or anything and it ran fantastic all the way to when I yanked it out for the year. Where do I go from here and what parts am I looking at? Do I need to replace the entire lower unit housing or can I find a collar somewhere and replace all seals and what not? I have attached two photos to assist and thanks again for all help, You guys are fantastic!!!View attachment 136088View attachment 136089

1975 Chrysler 55hp 555hg

 

[carholme]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Here is the parts listing for that engine:

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury-outboard/1725.cfm

See item 14 under Gear Housing but it includes the bearing seal and "O" ring, items 15/16 and 17. Looks like you had some freezing damage and in photo 1 there is a crack on the gearcase. Frank will be along soon enough and he might suggest a fix for the case.

Gerry

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

You have had freezing damage to the gearcase and bearing carrier. You need to remove the bearing carrier and check condition of the internals. If they are good, you need a gearcase and bearing carrier. If they are rusted, you need a whole lower unit.

Personally, because of the fuss and bother to dismantle these lowers, I would look for a decent used lower unit on ebay.

You can swap on any lower from a Chrysler 35, 45, 50, 55 or an early Force 50 (Not Merc designed thru-hub exhaust.). Just be carefull with a 35 lower since they made a small version and a regular one just like your engine. Again, also be careful with the 55. They made a 2 carb version and one like yours. So, if you see a lower from a 55, ask if it was a single carb engine.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Here is the parts listing for that engine:

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury-outboard/1725.cfm

See item 14 under Gear Housing but it includes the bearing seal and "O" ring, items 15/16 and 17. Looks like you had some freezing damage and in photo 1 there is a crack on the gearcase. Frank will be along soon enough and he might suggest a fix for the case.

Gerry

Ok I took a look at that. I did end up also finding the same parts finally at a marina. Shocking they had them but they are also 40 dollars more. Given that price I will end up getting that one. I did notice the year and model are not the same as mine, is it the same part as the mid 80's forces?

So as you said that is all of the seals for that particular part correct? I took a look at picture one and are you referring to crack on top where it meets the gear housing? I also thought that it should be attached but the marina tech told me that the shaft bearing cage does not directly attach to the casing? I dont normally take the dealers word for anything and instead come here for help. If that piece is not part of the bearing cage, could it be welded back together onto the gear casing? Money is an issue right now as I just bought my first house and would like to avoid having to replace the LU

Thanks again gents!

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

You have had freezing damage to the gearcase and bearing carrier. You need to remove the bearing carrier and check condition of the internals. If they are good, you need a gearcase and bearing carrier. If they are rusted, you need a whole lower unit.

Personally, because of the fuss and bother to dismantle these lowers, I would look for a decent used lower unit on ebay.

You can swap on any lower from a Chrysler 35, 45, 50, 55 or an early Force 50 (Not Merc designed thru-hub exhaust.). Just be carefull with a 35 lower since they made a small version and a regular one just like your engine. Again, also be careful with the 55. They made a 2 carb version and one like yours. So, if you see a lower from a 55, ask if it was a single carb engine.

Ok, next Tuesday I will be bringing it to a friends and we are going to take it apart to check out the insides. He was here and said the gears themselves all sounded really good, no grinding or and resistance to open turns. Now in my case, this motor was well taken care of and im afraid that if i buy a new LU the gears inside that one could be iffy. Im searching ebay now and see quite a few LU's on there. If I must go that route what kind of price is fair for one?

Last question is how did I get water in it? When I drained the fluids and changed last season everything was great and no water came out. Then I only boated about 10 more hours on that oil. Did a seal happen to just go out or are there different methods to draining the water out before winter?

As for the parts, the carrier and gear casing? I am not to boat motor worthy. The gear casing is the piece behind the prop? and the carrier is the actual collar looking thing? What kind of damage am I looking at for these compared to a replace LU. I see the shaft cage is 110 but I dont see a gear case?

Thanks again Frank for your help!

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

The gearcase is the casting with the skeg on it. It contains the gears and propshaft. It may be called the lower gear housing. The bearing carrier is just that, also called propeller shaft bearing cage. It is the part you call the collar and is held into the gearcase with two allen head bolts.

The gearcase COULD be welded BUT-- it would take a very good welder, it would need the sealing surface dressed and machined, and there is no certainty that it would seal again. It would cost more than replacing it. All in all, NOT worth taking the chance.

The bearing carrier has the rear ball bearing for the prop shaft. It also has a groove around its perimeter where it plugs into the gearcase. This groove carries a sealing O ring.

The gearcase is held to the upper part of the lower unit with a long stud in the front and a short internal stud in the rear. The rear nut MUST be removed AND the gearcase dropped a bit in order to remove the gears. The front stud FREQUENTLY corrodes into the lower unit and it becomes almost impossible to separate. That's why I recommend buying a used lower unit.

Difficult to say what a lower unit should cost--It depends upon the year of the engine. BUT--you can buy a whole junker for 100 bucks so I really would not go too high for just a lower unit-- say 150 tops.

As far as water, it is likely that a seal was leaking. There are three main seals: The one between the gearcase and upper portion, the one on the bearing carrier, and the drive shaft seal under the water pump. Any one of those could have failedor you may have inadequately tightened the fill and drain screws. Those seals are nylon and must be really tight or they will let water enter.

Your case is typical of why so many here on iboats recommend changing lower unit oil as a part of winterizing. Had changing the oil been the last thing you did, it would not have mattered if the lower unit leaked--no damage would have been done because no water would have been inside to freeze. I am not "dissing" you--I write this not as a lecture to you but as a learning experience for others who may read this.

NOW: Because you said that you drained out the water, that means that the gearcase was not leaking at the break. Since you claim that money is tight It MAY be possible to JB weld the broken part of the gearcase and drill and tap the bolthole at least 1/2 inch deeper so that a longer bolt will still hold in good metal. You have nothing to lose. However, the bearing carrier will still need to be replaced. I see it for 80 dollars new on another site, including the bearing and two seals. It is listed under 1986 Force 50 HP. This is nopt the best solution, but it may be workable until you can find a reasonably priced lower unit or junker engine for salvage.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Thanks Frank, that clears things up a bit. No "dissing" taken, I actually did change the fluid in order to winterize however we snuck in a few nice days and I could not resist. I did find a LU on ebay for 229 shipped but it has been rebuilt so im contemplating buying that one. I am waiting to find out exactly what it is because the description lists all the model hps. Im thinking after your advice just replace it all and I guess I can hold on to my lower unit for extra parts. Lesson learned for next winter.

So being a outboard novice, replacing the lower unit as a whole should be pretty straight forward? Any special considerations to take while im in there (lubrication, checks, replacements etc.)

Thanks again for the help and time

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Before you buy, be certain this lower unit is not listed for the 20,25, and 35 (small block). Chrysler did later adapt this lower for the smaller engines but the drive shaft has smaller splines than yours. These lowers also had a smaller top bushing so you can not simply switch the drive shafts. If there is doubt, ask before buying the diameter of the drive shaft and the number of splines. Compare with yours.

Lower units are supposed to be shipped without oil in them so double check and fill it if necessary. If it comes with a water pump, check the impeller.

To drop your lower unit, remove the six shroud screws and remove the two halves of the shroud. This exposes the shift rod. Loosen the locknut only a crack to preserve setting. Loosen the hex joiner until you can separate the two shift rods. They are threaded in opposite directions so both will move out or in as you turn the hex coupler. Remove the four bolts holding the lower unit to the midleg and pull it down.

When you put on the replacement, try to have the two shift rods equally threaded into the hex joiner. The original setting is a good place to start, but you may need to adjust the rods so the replacement lower goes into both gears.

The engine will run quite happily without the rear shroud so do not replace it until you have water tested the engine and its shifting.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Again Frank thanks for the assistance. The one on ebay im looking at is from a chrysler 35 hp. I know you said to watch out on those specific ones and this one has a 20 inch shaft? Not sure if this will work but heres the link to it

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-Fo..._Accessories_Gear&hash=item56492b4022&vxp=mtr

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

I can't tell from the photo, but Fairwinds is a good seller and you can trust them. Simply ask before buying what the shaft diameter and spline count is. tell them you have a 55 and ask if it is off a series 35, 45, 55 engine.

On these engines, if you remove the water pump, the drive shaft (which is also splined at the pinion) will simply slide out of the lower unit without any further disassembly. Thus shaft length does not matter. If it is the same diameter as yours, you can swap shafts easily.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Found a guy on craigslist who has a few lowers from various chryslers and force. What is my shaft size, or is that something that differs? Im waiting on a call back from the guy and just wanna make sure im speaking correctly of what I need. I moved the tear down job to today, so I will post some pics of the extent of the damage here for observation tonight.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Day 1 of the tear down. Everything went really smooth and simple. Everything inside was still oiled up and looked good. Meeting with the best aluminum welders in the county Monday to see what my options are. Also going to re paint it. I also located a plastic looking screen that was down inside the lower. It was broken into pieces, do I need it or is it ok without. If needed what exactly is it?

Pics attached

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

I THINK the drive shaft is 9/16 diameter--just measure it with a ruler. The plastic screen slides down inside the lower unit and rests at the water inlets. Its purpose is to keep chunks out of the water pump. If you boat in relatively clean water you do not need it. Otherwise buy a new one and install it.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

Sweet, I didnt know if the screen was in its original spot or if it got moved. So is it just called a water impeller screen or something like that? On the bigger piece of the lower (one with the exhaust) there was no gasket in between that and where it mounts to the top, should there be one there?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

No.

 

[Tmacular]

Re: AHHHH 1975 chrysler 55hp new issues revealed today!!! HEELPPP

No.

Frank, thank you very much for all your help, I would of been lost without all the advice!!!!

I am ordering the bearing right now, here is the link just wanted to make sure its correct before I buy.

/parts/detail/merc/M-817731A%205.html


the link is not working so I edited it to view..the second portion is correct just add the boats (dot) net