1978 Evinrude 25hp - Shaft seems too low for water pump

[jgsalentine]

I was replacing the impeller on my outboard when I noticed that the little pin in the shaft that engages the water pump seems too low. It is only about 1/8" above the lower plate. I was going to drop a single bearing down the hole to raise the shaft height a little when my better judgement told me to find out whether the pin height is indeed an issue or if it is what would be the proper fix. BTW - I was replacing the impeller because I bought the outboard used and it looked like no maintenance had ever been done. It was sending out a stream of water under operation before I decided to perform this "regular" maintenance. Any ideas?

[tx1961whaler]

Not an issue if the pin is not hitting the plate. The other end of the driveshaft goes directly into the pinion gear. Anything you drop "into the hole" will tear up the gears.
There is nothing wrong with your motor.

[jgsalentine]

Thank you for the advice. I just finished reassembling the lower unit to the motor, but when I tested it, no water came out of the side of the motor. Instead, water gushed out of a hole in the rear of the upper shroud of the lower unit. It also squirted out of the oval cover to the shifter disconnect. I'm wondering if maybe that copper tube which extends from the top of the pump might not be aligned with the port in the motor. If so, is there a trick to reassembling the lower unit correctly?

[tx1961whaler]

No real trick. It is just a pain to get aligned most of the time. I lubricate the water pump grommet to let it slide in easier.