Replacing water pump impeller for first time

[stevh1155]

I'm putting the lower unit back on and for some reason it doesn't want to go on the final 1/4". The shift shaft slid in place nicely and I double checked shifting gears with the shifter with the appropriate prop action. I'm assuming I have the drive shaft splines lined up or I don't think I would have gotten this far in, and moving the flywheel causes the prop to spin. Is there some sort of pre-load pin at the top where the top of the driveshaft mates? I'm very wary of breaking something and thinking maybe I need to drop the LU and try again?

 

[Chris1956]

If you have a preload pin it would have been visible on the top end of the driveshaft. Remember to put grease on the splines on the shiftshaft and driveshaft, but not on the ends of each.

Wiggle the shifter to make sure it mates. You did put the plastic shiftshaft guide in the midsection?

You have the plastic tube on top of the waterpump? Make sure the water tube is inserted into it. You have just one seal in the waterpump output? Hopefully the watertube is fully inserted into the exhaust extension. They can come out and be hard to put 'em back in.

Those gearcases can fit pretty tight. Put a couple of nuts on the gearcase and tighten them with fingers. Now wiggle and push the gearcase into position, tightening the nuts with fingers only.

If that doesn't get it, you will need to start over.

 

[stevh1155]

There was no plastic shift shaft guide in this motor when I pulled the lower unit off, that's something I looked for and was surprised I didn't see it. I was hoping it was just a guide and didn't do anything else, but I had very little trouble sliding the shift shaft together once I found the little opening on the leading edge on the gearcase. I moved the shift lever in all the gears and everything seems to be working the way it should. I pulled the lower unit off again and put a little grease on the rubber seal installed in the upper water pump housing and some on the metal water tube end, but it seemed to go together pretty well. I'm sure the shift shaft in lined up and inserted into the upper shaft, the drive shaft is obviously inserted into the crank end by the motor. I did notice that the LU seemed to slide as far as the small dowel pin that was sticking up in the front would allow, so that could be where the hangup is.

 

[Chris1956]

You really need the plastic tube that sticks out of the water pump outlet. It is very hard to get the watertube into the pump outlet w/o it.

When you say dowl pin, I presume you mean the locating pin between the midsection and gearcase, at the very rear of the gearcase. I never had any issue with that. It is the only cast-in protrusion on the gearcase, right?

There is a stainless-steel stud on the very front of the gearcase. You might clean it up with some sandpaper, as it can hang up, as can all the studs.

 

[stevh1155]

Yes, the plastic guide tube that came with the new pump kit is installed into the pump outlet and I put a little grease on the rubber seal that's inserted inside the pump outlet. The metal water tube slid into the guide tube at the pump outlet easily. The plastic guide for the shift shaft I was referring to is the one that is missing on my motor. As far as I can tell its only function is to center the upper shift shaft to make assembly easier. As it was, the 2 halves slid in to each other fine and the motor is shifting as it should.

Yes, the locating pins are what I meant. There's one in the front and one in the back. I cleaned off all the studs, yep, it could have been hanging up on those as well.
I have everything back together and double checked the shifting, all seems well. Getting ready now to put the water muffs on and give it a test.

 

[stevh1155]

It started easily after sitting all winter and pees like a race horse!
It's ready for the lake!