Re: 98 Johnson 200 HP lower unit seal
Buy the seal kit, and now would be an excellent time to install a new impeller.<br />There are three seals of the type you describe on many ouboards..One at the propsahft bearing (behind the bearing cage).<br />One under the water pump, and one in the water pump housing. I don't have the book on your motor. The spring you describe is to part of the seal. It keeps tension on the rubber part where it contacts the shaft it seals.<br /><br />On the back side of this seal (all one piece), is a steel bushing molded-into the seal. The best way to pull these is with a seal puller. This is a 5buk tool available at auto parts stores. There are more exspensive ones, but for most seals, this one will do it. It has a two hook-like bars mounted on a handle...Like a double edged pry bar. The object is to get this pry bar under the metal part of the seal, and pry it up and out. <br />Use care not to bugger-up the seal's seat or other parts of the lower unit when you are a-prying.<br /><br />They go in much easier than they come out. <br />Clean the seat spotless before installing the new one.Put a little light oil on the outside of the new seal. Find a socket that is the exact size of the seal. Place the seal in the seat by hand, far enough that it don't fall out on you. Then, with the socket over the top of the seal, tap it into the seat,making sure you are driving it home sqaurely.<br />Before re-mounting the lower unit, take a bicycle pump with a guage on it, and hook it up to iether one of "FILL" or "VENT" screw holes. Put the screw in the other. Pump it up to 10PSI (no more than 10psi), and watch the gauge. If the pressure does not hold, submerge the lower unit ,pump it up again, and look for bubbles. It could just be leaking from the vent/fill screws,and this will let you know for sure where it is still leaking from.<br />One last piece of advise...Those vent/fill screws, use new gaskets. They are cheap,and shouldn't be re-used.
