Should drive shaft be removed from gear case?

[October1]

I'm not really the mechanical type so maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I have a family member that is helping me with an impeller replacement. We took the lower unit off and after he pulled off the impeller he decided to pull the drive shaft out of the lower unit for some reason and decided to pull off the metal plate it went though and it's seal as well. Right now the lower unit is laying on it's side without the drive shaft in place and I'm worried that without the shaft in the gears can move and fall out of place. Is this something I should be worrying about?

 

[jimmbo]

Depends on the brand and model. On some OMC outboards you could pull the shaft out with no worries, others not do much. Since you haven’t mentioned what the engine is...

 

[October1]

Sorry, wasn't thinking. It's a 25hp Evinrude. Model E25TELCCA.

 

[F_R]

Not to worry, it isn't going to fall apart or blow up.

 

[racerone]

The drive shaft simply goes back in.----Rotate a bit to engage the pinion.

 

[hardwater fisherman]

The 2 posters ahead of me know a lot more than I do . I would just like to say be careful to not tear the drive shaft seal when sliding it back in.

 

[October1]

Thanks guy's. I was just afraid the drive shaft may have been holding everything in place. I'm glad I came here. I'm not too worried about it now. Just mildly concerned about the drive shaft seal. I will be careful.

 

[jimmbo]

Well since you have the shaft out, you might as well replace the two seals under the water pump.

 

[October1]

Well since you have the shaft out, you might as well replace the two seals under the water pump.

Sorry Jimmbo, I just now seen this post. I thought I would have received an email notification.Thanks for trying to help. Due to some delays we just got it back together today. Unfortunately there has been no change. It's still not pumping water.

 

[oldboat1]

Based on what? Motor is heating up (top of head really hot to touch)?

If you mean there is nothing at the tell tale, run a piece of wire or weed whacker line up there and see if you can clear a blockage.

 

[jimmbo]

Well I bet it will coming out again. Is the pump housing Aluminium? Or is it a plastic/composite with a metal liner? Any deep scratches, grooves in the housing/liner? Did you ensure the drive pin/key was in place before lowering the housing? Was the pump housing lowered all the way? A complete water pump repair kit(housing, impeller, liner, gaskets, o-rings, grommets, bottom plate) might be a wise investment

 

[oldboat1]

...and need to test it in the lake or in a deep barrel (think plastic trash can). Water level must be well above the pump, and can't test operation running on muffs.

 

[October1]

It's the plastic/composite with a metal liner. Liner seemed fine & key was in. Pump housing is screwed down tight. My uncle is doing all this and I'm only observing. He tightened it a lot tighter than I would have liked, but it didn't break so I figured it must be OK. However, one thing that could be a potential problem that he didn't seem to be concerned with is the impeller seemed to be sticking out from the bottom of the housing a little. I figured he must just be thinking it would get pressed in the rest of the way when it got tightened down. To be honest I didn't think there was anything wrong with the last one but he was insistent that somebody must have put in the wrong pin on the last impeller because it was round and that couldn't work so we replaced it. Now we have a new impeller and still no water coming out.

 

[October1]

...and need to test it in the lake or in a deep barrel (think plastic trash can). Water level must be well above the pump, and can't test operation running on muffs.

The place where I bought the impeller said the same thing about the muffs. Didn't make sense to us but we tried the muffs and then a 55 gallon drum, but we only filled the drum a little above where the lower unit bolts on.

 

[oldboat1]

More water in the drum (a few inches over the l.u. joint, maybe more). But what is the issue? Nothing out of the tell tale?

Did uncle get the water tube into the grommet on the pump housing?

 

[October1]

Seems weird have to put that much water in the barrel to make it work but will give it a try.

He put water tube in first then lined up with pump grommet and pushed on and bolted on lower unit. Maybe didn't go on right. Guess I should pull it back off and check.

Hard plastic washer at top tube was real hard to get on tube but kind of a loose fit when pushed in the hole up by the motor head.

 

[October1]

Nothing is coming out of the Pee hole (tell tale?).

 

[oldboat1]

See if the top of the head is hot. Too hot to touch is too hot.

Run a piece of wire or similar up the pee hole and see if you can clear it.

 

[October1]

The head gets hot to the touch after a couple minutes. Hotter than I care to leave my fingers on for more than a second or two.

We though we had the Pee hole cleared by blasting it with air.

 

[oldboat1]

Sounds like you need to pull the l.u. again and check the assembly.