Could a lower unit impact cause a coupler failure?

[lrdchaos]

2 weeks ago my wife hit something while dropping me off near the ramp. What she hit I have no idea, but it scratched the lower unit and broke a couple inches off of the tip of the scag. Everything seemed to run right until this weekend when my engine coupler failed. Can a lower unit impact cause a coupler failure?

 

[thumpar]

It could have helped the failure. It is spun or are the splines gone? When was the last time the alignment was checked?

 

[Rick Stephens]

Lower unit impacts can bend, tweak and even pull bolts out of the transom, motor mounts and outdrive. It can screw up the alignment, which can destroy the coupler.

 

[lrdchaos]

i don't know if it spun or the splines. The mechanic at the lake had me put it in gear and he spun something by hand and said it was the coupler. I will get it into my mechanic later this week. I know when it broke loose it sounded like the engine was knocking or gears were grinding in the lower unit. Not pretty sounding.

 

[mr 88]

Sure,blame the wife,haha.

 

[nola mike]

I.'ll dissent here and say unlikely, unless you actually screwed up the transom. You'd have to transmit that force through the ujoints.

 

[achris]

The mechanic at the lake had me put it in gear and he spun something by hand and said it was the coupler.

That doesn't prove the coupler. You/he needs to pull the drive off and check for other likely suspects... Sheared lower drive shaft, broken teeth in top box, corroded out splines in the bottom of the upper drive shaft... Plenty of reasons a prop would spin in gear... Even, a broken propshaft....

The impact you described I would not expect to do the coupler unless it was very much on the way anyway....

Chris........