Reinstalling Lower unit.

Billfo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
189
:mad:Having some difficulty remounting the lower unit. First of all I installed the impeller the same direction as the old one was (as the way the vanes were bent).. I did all this while the shifter was in neutral. Now I can not align the shaft from the lower unit. Does anyone know how to get the shaft to turn ? The prop spins, but the shaft does not move. The smaller splined shaft ( I believe is the shifter) does not turn either..thanks..
 

jspiel

Recruit
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
3
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

a friend of mine has been having the same problem. He ended up putting the motor in gear. that way when you can turn the prop instead of turning the flywheel to line things up.
 

Billfo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
189
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Thank you for the reply, but I dont understand.. dont I engage the propeller somehow ? I think if I can engage the prop, I can turn it by hand & make it match up...


a friend of mine has been having the same problem. He ended up putting the motor in gear. that way when you can turn the prop instead of turning the flywheel to line things up.
 

Yepblaze

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 1, 2001
Messages
1,686
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Do it with the gear in neutral, that way when it doesn't align right, you'll know it right away.

Have a helper turn the engine flywheel as you lift.
 

milehighboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
235
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

If the lower unit is going in all but the last inch or half an inch it is the allignment of your shifting spline. I ended turning the spline for the shifter with a small pair of pliers about an 1/8 of a turn, this isn't enough to put it in gear, there is some play either way before it goes into rev or forward, just find the spot where it goes in. Then check you can go into reverse and forward again. Reverse locks the prop where it will not spin freely either way and forward will only lock the prop in one direction and it will free spin in the other with a poping noise as it turns. If it doesn't go into one or the other put the shifter in neutral pull the lower unit off again and put it into neutral and try to place it in again. That shaft doen't spin more than a half a turn either way.
 

Moody Blue

Captain
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
3,136
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Elaborating a bit more on the above, this procedure requires two people.

Keep lower unit and control in neutral.

Push the lower unit up into the midsection and align the cooling water tube into the waterpump. Push further till the driveshaft encounters the crankshaft in the powerhead. Apply just a little upwards pressure on the lower unit while a helper rotates the flywheel by hand (be sure the key is OFF and kill switch engaged). The splines of the crankshaft and driveshaft will align and slide together.

Next obstacle will be the shift shaft. You may need to get your fingers or pair of needle nose pliers in there to align the upper and lower shift shafts. The upper and lower do not always line up on-center even though the splines are aligned. Again, apply a little upwards force at the same time. The lower unit should then slid up to within about 1/2" of being fully seated.

The last hurtle will be the exhaust tube seal. A little vaseline on the inside of the seal and around the outside lip of the exhaust tube will ease assembly. A little upwards thrust should seat the exhaust tube into the seal and the lower unit will be in place.
 

milehighboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
235
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

You must have had a bit less coffee than I have had today. Good explanation, does anyone have a good reason for that shift shaft to move out of alignment? Is there still some "torqued tention" on the shaft that is released when the LU is removed or is it just a bugger either way you look at it?
 

Billfo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
189
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

How do we "rotate the flywheel by hand" ? I wish I would have had these instructions BEFORE i started ;)


Elaborating a bit more on the above, this procedure requires two people.

Keep lower unit and control in neutral.

Push the lower unit up into the midsection and align the cooling water tube into the waterpump. Push further till the driveshaft encounters the crankshaft in the powerhead. Apply just a little upwards pressure on the lower unit while a helper rotates the flywheel by hand (be sure the key is OFF and kill switch engaged). The splines of the crankshaft and driveshaft will align and slide together.

Next obstacle will be the shift shaft. You may need to get your fingers or pair of needle nose pliers in there to align the upper and lower shift shafts. The upper and lower do not always line up on-center even though the splines are aligned. Again, apply a little upwards force at the same time. The lower unit should then slid up to within about 1/2" of being fully seated.

The last hurtle will be the exhaust tube seal. A little vaseline on the inside of the seal and around the outside lip of the exhaust tube will ease assembly. A little upwards thrust should seat the exhaust tube into the seal and the lower unit will be in place.
 

milehighboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
235
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Just take off the cowling and rotate it by hand. If you are worried about getting caught by the pull rope holds (the sharp hook things on the edge of the flywheel) use a pair of leather gloves. you shouldn't have to move the flywheel that much though, 1/4 turn at the most. By a 1/4 turn you should have many oppertunities to line the splines up.
 

milehighboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
235
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Billfo, I was just reading your earlier post from this morning and there shouldn't be any hose that I know of, what motor do you have? Serial number if you can, and which bolts did you remove to take off the lower unit?
 

Billfo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
189
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

It was the speedo pick up tube. My Evinrude 175 had one also ( except it was spliced in 2 places... (I ended up cutting mine on this 135 Opti - so I will have to splice as well)


Billfo, I was just reading your earlier post from this morning and there shouldn't be any hose that I know of, what motor do you have? Serial number if you can, and which bolts did you remove to take off the lower unit?
 

Billfo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
189
Re: Reinstalling Lower unit.

Got it installed..no helper available.. I turned the flywheel about 1/2 inch tried, no go, turned it 1/2" again & it mated right up.. I tied the shefter shaft up so it would align as well.. I THINK its all together right.. Time to put on the muffs & see what happens...
Thank you all for the help.. I guess now MINE is a piece of cake too ,once Ive done it once... :)


Elaborating a bit more on the above, this procedure requires two people.

Keep lower unit and control in neutral.

Push the lower unit up into the midsection and align the cooling water tube into the waterpump. Push further till the driveshaft encounters the crankshaft in the powerhead. Apply just a little upwards pressure on the lower unit while a helper rotates the flywheel by hand (be sure the key is OFF and kill switch engaged). The splines of the crankshaft and driveshaft will align and slide together.

Next obstacle will be the shift shaft. You may need to get your fingers or pair of needle nose pliers in there to align the upper and lower shift shafts. The upper and lower do not always line up on-center even though the splines are aligned. Again, apply a little upwards force at the same time. The lower unit should then slid up to within about 1/2" of being fully seated.

The last hurtle will be the exhaust tube seal. A little vaseline on the inside of the seal and around the outside lip of the exhaust tube will ease assembly. A little upwards thrust should seat the exhaust tube into the seal and the lower unit will be in place.
 
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