YAMAHA sx225tury First New Water pump after 12 years-Lower Unit stuck!!

[wi1p]

After "Summer" storage in Florida, Engine started and runs fine. The "PEE" stream is very weak, for the first time in 10 years, so I decided to replace the water pump.

The opening in the water stream from the upper unit is clear, I ran a 14 gauge copper wire in about 6-8" without obstruction or crud coming out. No engine over heating, engine block temperature was measured digitally at 150 degrees F. So the pump is not completely gone. I do not want to run it without a new pump installed.

I removed the 8 bolts holding the lower unit to the upper outdrive, including the anode /zinc and the bolt exposed when the zinc is removed. All 8 bolts came out easily. I reinstalled three bolts loosly to prevent the lower unit from falling off the motor.. just in case.

I am workng on the engine lower unit while the boat is on a lift, I have no trailer, and I am using a homemade 4' X 8' raft as a work platform. Ya gotta make work what you got...

Anyone know "about" how much the lower unit weighs with a prop attached??

I have tried to seperate the lower unit and upper unit but I am unable to do so. I have searched the archives but have not found a solution when the two units will not come apart. I have used rubber mallets. two pound sledge hammer with wood blocks, tried to force a paint scrapper blade between the two units with a hammer to no avail. The seam is unbroken between the two units.

I suspect the two alignment dowels and maybe the drive shaft are preventing the units from coming apart.

Is heat the next step? If so, where is it applied? Electric heat gun or propane torch?

Any advice or suggestions as to how to proceed to seperate the lower unit from the top would be appreciated.

I have a line tied to the lower unit and propeller just in case it falls off, which I believe is very unlikely..

Thanks to all for your ideas.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: YAMAHA sx225tury First New Water pump after 12 years-Lower Unit stuck!!

Normally if it's the drive shaft, it will drop a fraction of an inch before stopping.

 

[wi1p]

Re: YAMAHA sx225tury First New Water pump after 12 years-Lower Unit stuck!!

It was the 9th bolt, the one in front of the zinc anode, in the hole beyond the anode, which was holding the lower unit securely.

Removing it was the last bolt to release the lower unit. The manual should be more specific, there are 9 bolts to be removed, NOT 8. I don't care what you call the two bolts associated with the zinc anode, they also must be removed in addition to the 7 others, TOTAL 9 BOLTS to be removed!!

Thanks for the bandwidth and support. Hope this helps others to avoid the frustration I had.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: YAMAHA sx225tury First New Water pump after 12 years-Lower Unit stuck!!

Actually only eight hold it on, the zinc bolt don't count. That is probably what confused others. You said eight and there is only eight holding it on. I counted the bolts in my head and thought you had them all.