1969 Johnson 20 hp Water Pump

[riverso]

I need to replace the water pump on this outboard. I have removed the bolts to the lower unit and the screw on the shifting shaft. It drops down about 1/2", but does not allow the gear box to drop. I have seen info that says a pin/key has to be alligned at the top of the exhaust housing, but I do not find anything that is apparent to do that. Any help???

[Daviet]

There is no pin in the top of your driveshaft to be aligned. The drive shaft might be stuck in the powerhead. Sometimes a soft rap with a rubber mallet is needed to dislodge the shaft.
Go the OEM website, punch in your model number and look at the parts breakdown of your motor.

[14ftgrumman]

The bolt must be removed from the shift shaft coupler.

[rjezuit]

There's an oval cover on the side of the leg held on with 2 screws. Remove this and look inside, you will see the shift coupler. Remove the bottom screw completely and the rod will slip out. Be sure to line up the cutout in the shaft when you re-assemble and replace/tighten the screw. Rick