Shavings in the lower unit

[MASTER Brian]

I am rebuiliding my power head and while it's off, I decided to replace the water-pump. When I went to drain the fluid I found shavings on the drain plugs, so I guess I will be going through the entire lower unit.

I have the L.U. off and on a bench and the prop isn't off yet. Do I need a special tool to take it off or should it come off? Any other special tools needed? I noticed there seems to be some sort of pullers used in the manual. Are those necessary or can I get by with automotive type pullers?

I have an OEM manual and this is a 1986 Evinrude XP 150 engine. Are there any parts I should definately replace while I'm tearing into it, or what about any other pointers/things I should look out for.

Thanks.

 

[Walker]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

You're gonna need a "BIG" pair of inside snap ring pliers. Do a search as there have been a couple of threads about them lately.
The bearing carrier can usually be pulled with a harmonic balance puller using 2 lengths of 1/4X20or24 (i forget) all thread

 

[Walker]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

You're gonna need a "BIG" pair of inside snap ring pliers. Do a search as there have been a couple of threads about them lately.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Might as well get a seal kit, too....

 

[jtexas]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

hope you don't mind if I jump in with a general question...when you say "shavings"...it is normal, isn't it, to have some filings on the plug magnet...right? Just want to be sure I'm not ignoring a problem...bet I'm not the only one.

thanks!

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

hope you don't mind if I jump in with a general question...when you say "shavings"...it is normal, isn't it, to have some filings on the plug magnet...right? Just want to be sure I'm not ignoring a problem...bet I'm not the only one.

thanks!

That would be great if so, but I find it hard to believe there should be any. I bought this boat this spring and was told the lower unit was rebuilt 1 1/2 years ago. It's obvious, it's been apart and whomever put it back together shoved it into the P.H. cracking the lower bearing cover on the P.H..

I am kind of hoping, they just didn't clean it out good and that's where the shavings came from, but the boat did grind a bit, going from forward to reverse. I lubed everything up and that seemed to help, right before I lost the P.H.

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Well, I got off the phone with the people I ordered my PH rebuild kit from, whom I've actually been having trouble. Sounds like they have someone new, who might actually know what's going on.

Anyway, I mentioned the shavings to him and he didn't think it sounded like I should even mess with re-building it at this point. He said some are fine and actually to be expected after a rebuild and I actually had some issues early on with the gears grinding when going from forward to reverse. I had that taken care of before I lost the powerhead, so maybe I am ok.

What do you guys think? I should have taken a pic of the plug, but I didn't. Next time I will....

The boat doesn't jump after shifting and seems to run great. At least before I lost a ring!!:'(

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Were they chunks, dust or somewhere in between?

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Were they chunks, dust or somewhere in between?

I wouldn't classify them as chunks, maybe dust to heavy dust.

I'm thinking they looked somewhat like the way the stuff in the kids magnetic drawing pad thing clumps together towards the pen thing. If that makes sense.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

I really wouldn't worry about filings on a magnetic plug. They're expected to collect that stuff. That's why they're magnetic in the first place. If during the rebuild any of the gears were replaced, I'd be surprised not to find filings on the plug. I'd chalk it up to normal wear and tear and move on.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Yep. Sounds normal if it's just fuzz.....

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

That's what I think I'll go ahead and do. Like I said, it wasn't giving me any issues before tearing into the PH. If I feel any symptoms after putting it back together, then I'll worry about a rebuild this winter and try to salvage the rest of my summer for now.

I'll put it together and I'll re-fill the LU and continue on my way and check it after the breakin of the PH and maybe re-fill it at that point.

Is there a way to sort of flush the system out for the time being? Or is just filling it and maybe drain and re-fill in a month or so, good enough?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

About enough to cover a finger tip, and feel kinda gritty like sand rubbed between your thumb & finger? I guess the quantity would depend on how long since your last oil change.

Don't all gearboxes make a tiny bit of metal?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

I would run it the first time and then change the fluid to be safe. Cheap and easy.... You don't want to be worrying about it every time you go out. If it looks good after the first run, then you should be good to go. If not, then you won't put anymore undo wear on it and possibly damage something else...

 

[clemsonfor]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

They all make small amounts of metal from the gears contacting each other, like car trannys, chunks and teeth not good, fuzz to dust that is in the bottom of pan and feels gritty OK. Foward to Neutral to reverse is because the motor idles to high or shift cable needs adjustment to help avoid the grinding just push it into gear swiftly and don't ease it into gear it grinds worse if eased into gear as this increases the shift time and allows more grinding.

-nate

 

[iwombat]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

If you knew what the gears were really doing you'd wonder why there isn't more mess down there. Gears don't turn smoothly. At the microscopic level the engagement goes something like this: collide on the backside of the tooth as they're pushed, recoil due to elasticity in the metal, colide on the frontside of the tooth, recoil and colide on the back a little softer this time, and repeat. Of course as one gear is recoiling so is the other, as they vibrate their way through the meshing process. It resembles a set of coupled driven damped harmonic oscilators.

Okay, enough physics for one day.

 

[xtraham]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

you will also find more metal in l/u's that the owner of the vessel slowly ingages foward or reverse movement of the shift lever, make sure you do not hesitate to engage/disengage quickly. in my humble opinion

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Glad I asked before I tore into it. Sounds like normal wear and tear. My guess is the fluid hadn't been changed since the rebuild, but at the same time, I don't think the previous owner took it out much either, which is why he sold it.

While it's off, is it ok to try to clean up the prop edges a bit? There isn't much wear on them, but there are a few nicks. Should I leave them alone or clean the up? Do they get sharpened to an edge or flat?

What about the skeg on the bottom of the L.U.. Mine is a bit cocked to one side, is that normal or should I straighten it? I'm a bit afraid to mess with it much.

Then last question for now, which direction am I NOT supposed to turn that prop? I was told turning it a certain direction in forward or reverse would damage the waterpump.

Thanks again...

 

[xtraham]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

the skeg is adjustable it is kind of like lining up your car so the boat will run as straight as possible not pulling the steering wheel port or starboard, you can turn your prop in either direction as long as the unit is in neutral, you never want the drive shaft to turn counter clockwise, I never repair small nicks in my props, maybe someone can advise you on that one, good luck

 

[jtexas]

Re: Shavings in the lower unit

Factory manual says nicks can be smoothed with a file, I've did that with my stainless prop...noticeable performance improvement...but I don't have the experience to say whether I got it "right" - so don't take this as a recommendation or non-recommendation. Prop shop probably less than $50 if it's no real damage involved.

Manual also notes that the leading edges of the blades are rounded and trailing edges flat.

xtraham...what's the bad news about turning driveshaft CCW? reason I ask is...I turned my flywheel both ways last weekend...less than a half-turn...cranked it afterwards...it kind of hesitated for a second, fired a big puff of white smoke out the exhaust ports, then ran normally. Later I figured it might have something to do with turning it the wrong way.

thanks.