Re: Engine 165 Mercruiser: Need Help
I can't see where your R&R of the motor would be any different than my 140 I just got an education on. YES, pull the upper& lower unit(outdrive). Might as well split it and put in a new water pump impeller while you're fooling with it. I read about using the alignment tool also, but every shadetree and boat shop I talked to said "aw heck man, just eye ball it." Well, that's what I did. I ran at 3/4 throttle for 30 minutes, reached to back of the motor and put my hand on the coupler and it was cool so I guess it worked just fine. I found that my upper unit slid perfectly into place with no forcing once I had taken sand paper and cleaned up the drive shaft and installed new o'rings. I could feel the o'rings slip into the gimbal bearing when putting her back together. Before I had to practically beat it apart and beat it back together. Clean parts definitely help. As for the removal... take pictures if possible before disassembly, make notes, label or mark everything you can. It is much more simple than swaping out a 305 in my old 1970 Chevy C-10. Once you remove the outdrive, its a few wires, couple of hoses & clamps, then just 4 bolts. A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE... front & rear mounts... every washer, spacer, nut, bolt and spring(lock washer looking thing) MUST go back exactly as removed or you will be burning out couplers frequently. The big spacer on the rear mount goes ON TOP, not under the bell housing mount which sits on top of a rubber washer with the lockwasher looking spring in the center which is on top of the transom mount. You don't have to touch the transom mount. Front mount should come out with engine. Put gears in forward for tear down & re-assembly, study the shifting mechanism and pull apart slowly so you can learn as you go. Keep a floor jack handy... them d*** things get heavy.