1987 25 hp lower unit shaft

[AaronS76]

Hi all

Have been using this site since I bought my first boat 12 months ago. I bought a 30 year old 14 ft runabout and 25 hp quite cheap for my daughter and I. It does what we need in our local impoundments.

I recently changed the water pump and of course I accidentally lifted the drive shaft. Nothing moved and I put it straight back in. Now I need to move the prop a bit to engage a gear. Everything I have read says shaft out = rebuild. I am really hoping that this isn't true in this case as nothing moved and I only pulled it up an inch as I was sliding the old water pump off. I suspect though that the need to move the prop to engage gears suggests otherwise. Anyone out there advise whether I am pulling it apart again?

Thanks
Aaron

 

[F_R]

Relax, you didn't break it. It is absolutely normal to have to rotate the prop to shift when it is not running. When it is running, stuff is already moving. And that stuff about pulling the drive shaft out is BS except possibly for one or two motors and yours is not one of them.

 

[racerone]

Fully agree with post # 2----Nothing was changed and nothing was damaged.

 

[AaronS76]

Thankyou.