You need to spit the drive and remove the water passage cover. The screen just slides out. However, I had chronic problems with marine growth on this screen restricting raw water flow (boat was always moored in salt water 6 months out of the year) and I wound up removing it and not replacing it. So far (removed it 5 years ago) it has not been a problem with anything damaging the impeller. Water flow is good and the engine runs at 160 like it should, before that it was getting up to 185 due to barnacles growing on that screen even when sprayed with anti fouling paint (Trilux). I made up a tool out of stiff wire that I can use to rod out the 4 holes when the boat is on the mooring by just tilting it up all the way and hanging off the swim platform.
When I took it apart I found that there was marine growth higher up even in the water passage. So it is probably a good idea every 3 seasons or so to split the drive and clean out that area and paint it with anti fouling paint.
Mercrusiers and some Volvos do not have screens (I think later model Volvos do use them), the Cobra has 4 large holes vs the others have 6-8 smaller holes.
If there was some way to add an external screen like some outboards have (that can be easily removed) that would be the better set up. That screen works OK on outboards where it is tilted out of the water but in salt water on an outdrive it is a nuisance.
