Re: Mercury Blue Band 80 hp Prop shaft seal replacement.
You can't replace the seal without pulling the bearing carrier. To do it, you need to know how. The threads on the carrier are left handed most likely. You will need the proper merc tool, or make a tool to remove it. If it were me, I'd replace every seal in it, and take the prop shaft and drive shaft to someone knowledgeable and let them tell you if the shafts will hold a seal or require sleeving.
If you're going to run a motor that old regularly, you might as well learn how to work on it yourself, or you'd be better off buying a newer engine. They're good engines, but any machine is going to require maintenance and such to keep running forever. Mechanics are too expensive to use on an old motor regularly--if you do you'll eventually spend enough money to have bought a new one instead. You CAN do the work yourself if you're mechanically inclined and willing to buy a good service manual, which is my recommendation. The reason they don't want to work on it is because there is no profit in it. It would most likely cost you more than the motor is worth to get the lower unit fixed right, and they don't want you to be dissatisfied.
JMO,
JBJ
