Help! (Lower Unit)

[gotzoom]

Hello all,<br /><br />I have a 1988 or 1989 85HP Force. Last fall I took it upon myself to change the lower unit lube and actually had a local boat service shop walk me through it. Well it turns out that they gave me the wrong info. I took out the linkage screw rather than the actuall drain screw. I did some research here on the forums and did find out alot of the answers to my questions regarding this issue. One question remains...I ran it for a few seconds when fogging (after taking out wrong screw and refilling lower unit), but never put it in gear. My wife would start it and I would spray and it would choke it self out. So again it was only seconds and not in gear. I know it only takes seconds to damage the internals, but do I have anything to worry about as far as damage to the gears? Any help would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Joe

 

[hamburgerman]

Re: Help! (Lower Unit)

I think your gears will be fine if you did not run all over the lake with no gear oil or let the lower unit fill with water and freeze so this takes us to the water pump you can not run the motor out of the water even for 10 seconds this will damage the pump impeller

 

[gotzoom]

Re: Help! (Lower Unit)

Thanks hamburgerman! I am having them change out the water pump this weekend and also reconnecting the linkage I messed up. I bought the boat last season and Im not sure when the last timethe impeller was changed. The guy had it in his garage for 3 years never being run during that time. It did run fine last summer when I had it out though. Thanks again!<br /><br />Joe

 

[roscoe]

Re: Help! (Lower Unit)

Very important not to run the motor again, until the linkage is connected properly.<br /><br />If you did damage, you would know it. It would have made an awful racket.

 

[gotzoom]

Re: Help! (Lower Unit)

Thanks roscoe<br /><br />I didnt hear anything like that at all, so hopefully I will be in good shape.<br /><br />Thanks again