I just did the water pump for the first time on a recently received 1976 70HP Evinrude, and the water pump kit came with plastic keys that were unlike the motor’s flywheel key. It was more ramp shaped, which I believe is what most replacement kit keys are. The new impeller’s inside key indent was also more slanted and wide, not squarely cut at all. But when I took the lower unit off, the driveshaft had a metal key and slot in it exactly like the flywheel’s “half circle/moon” key, and the old impeller had a 90* angle-cut slot in it like the flywheel does.
From what I know, I thought the ramp shaped key was correct, but there’s no way it’d fit in the driveshaft, so I had to reuse the old metal key on the new slant/ramp cut impeller and it seemed to turn it ok, so I put it back together snd called it a day.
Is there any chance that’s an original lower unit driveshaft and water pump? It sure seems different from what I’ve read, but again I didn’t know what to do about it so I let it be.
Any info on if there’s any 70’s Evinrude that use the moon shaped key and keyhole driveshaft would be great. Or info on why mine was mismatched as such.
From what I know, I thought the ramp shaped key was correct, but there’s no way it’d fit in the driveshaft, so I had to reuse the old metal key on the new slant/ramp cut impeller and it seemed to turn it ok, so I put it back together snd called it a day.
Is there any chance that’s an original lower unit driveshaft and water pump? It sure seems different from what I’ve read, but again I didn’t know what to do about it so I let it be.
Any info on if there’s any 70’s Evinrude that use the moon shaped key and keyhole driveshaft would be great. Or info on why mine was mismatched as such.
