1986 125 Hp Force... went to remove lower unit for inspection of water impeller. Has been done annually for 3 years or more, never been an issue. This year however, I had a real bear of a time getting the LU off... once I finally did, it appears as though the rubber/plastic-y collar that is supposed to provide some protection to the shaft splines out of the powerhead had fallen or slid down the shaft. The shaft splines and powerhead splines show signs of surface rust and corrosion.
I've cleaned everything up as best I can with a wire brush on the shaft and a wire bottle-brush on a stick for the powerhead splines, followed by a power-washing, so I think I'm OK as far as getting it back together again. But I want to prevent future days of wrestling with this same issue. The rubber/plastic-y collar idea seems a bit lame if it's just going to fall down again and I don't think I want to try gluing it in place.
I've been told not to put grease on those splines as it gets shoved up to the top of the shaft and causes bent shafts through excessive compression forces. I thought of coating with oil might suffice, but maybe the heat will cause the oil to harden over the season and turn it into a gunky glue? So what can I do to prevent the spline area from corroding itself onto the powerhead again? Any suggestions?
I've cleaned everything up as best I can with a wire brush on the shaft and a wire bottle-brush on a stick for the powerhead splines, followed by a power-washing, so I think I'm OK as far as getting it back together again. But I want to prevent future days of wrestling with this same issue. The rubber/plastic-y collar idea seems a bit lame if it's just going to fall down again and I don't think I want to try gluing it in place.
I've been told not to put grease on those splines as it gets shoved up to the top of the shaft and causes bent shafts through excessive compression forces. I thought of coating with oil might suffice, but maybe the heat will cause the oil to harden over the season and turn it into a gunky glue? So what can I do to prevent the spline area from corroding itself onto the powerhead again? Any suggestions?