1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

[bthompson]

I am struggling to get the lower unit of this motor. I have removed the 4 bolts that protruded under the gearcase and the one that was recessed. I also have removed the one that sat hidden under the trim plate. The shift linkage was also disconnected under the bottom carb. That being done, I cannot get the case to budge downward. I was able to get it to move laterally just about 3/8". I have used a wedge to move the case, but only have it separated by about 1/8".

Is it possible that the spline has frozen to the motor? Do I try to pull the motor off where the motor meets the transom? I did a 1955 5.5 HP Johnson and had much less trouble.

I am trying to get it off to find a leak and also replace the impeller. I am guessing it has not been done in 10-15 years.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Thread bump.

Someone must have had to deal with a lower unit that did not want to come off. There is nowhere that I can apply heat since I am betting that the shaft splines are rusted. I can't even get penetrating oil into them since the casing is covering it all.

Is the next course of action trying to remove the motor from the top? Some clues as to what to look for would really help me out.

Brad

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Welcome to Iboats bthompson!

Getting a stuck spline shaft out of the motor can be difficult. I like to hang the motor upside down, with the flywheel about a inch over a piece of wood and spray PB blaster into any little space I can get.
Work it apart, and back together, and keep spraying PB.....I hope you can eventually get it. If all else fails, you may have to remove the power head....Wish ya luck

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Welcome to Iboats bthompson!

Getting a stuck spline shaft out of the motor can be difficult. I like to hang the motor upside down, with the flywheel about a inch over a piece of wood and spray PB blaster into any little space I can get.
Work it apart, and back together, and keep spraying PB.....I hope you can eventually get it. If all else fails, you may have to remove the power head....Wish ya luck

Sounds like a workable solution. Thanks! Wish it would have just come off the easy way! I do find that PB is the way to go for penetrant.

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Yea, It is a pain to get those stuck splines out, but I have found that this is the best way. While upside down, If you get the lower unit separated enough to see the drive shaft, spray a bunch of PB on the drive shaft and let it set over night. This will help your odds too.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Got the motor off and I have maybe 1/8 of an inch gap. I assume the rubber gasket is for the exhaust channel so the shaft is in front of that gasket. So, I have sprayed PB very liberally in front of the gasket.

We will see what happens tomorrow night. My fingers are crossed!

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Not sure about the rubber gasket you are referring to. Could you point it out in this pic?

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

#48.

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Ok, makes sense to me now.

Hope things work out for you tomorrow evening. Post back on what happens.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Ok, makes sense to me now.

Hope things work out for you tomorrow evening. Post back on what happens.

I hope to get at it later tomorrow night after teaching religious education class(if I still have the energy).

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Tried it at 6:00 with no joy. I was looking at taking off the powerhead, but if the spline is stuck, will I do any better from the top? Won't it be stuck up there, too? Better leverage?

This thing is kind of frustrating.

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Next try carefully driving small wooden wedges in. I have used wedges like carpenters use to frame in door jams. And gently pry with bars etc.

Taking off the power head would be a last resort, and it is real difficult to boot. Hope you can get it apart soon.

 

[crabbydad]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

i had the same problem last spring. i made a bunch of delrin(plastic) wedges that i rough sawed out of a piece of 1" thick. material. they are a little more durable then wood. i drove them in at various locations around the lower unit. this created a constant even force. between driving thicker wedges and lighty prying, i finally broke it loose. it took me a while to get it off over the course of a few days. i left a few of the bolts threaded in alittle, just in case it came off all at once. the spline had been siezed in the powerhead. when i put it back together, i cleaned it good and put anti sieze on the spline. hope this helps, good luck.
tony

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

hang the motor upside down, about an inch off the floor. PB Blaster thru the crack. i have used screw drivers, flat bars, crow bars to get them off.

you will not get any further trying to get power head off, as the splines are rusted into the crank shaft.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

I am glad I have used Craftsman screwdrivers because I broke the tips off two of them. I will make some wedges and see how I manage.

At best, I have a 1/8" crack to work with. I have made a few marks, but I figure that it is cosmetic. I have used about a half bottle of PB trying to make sure that I got the shaft.

I will have to rig something to hang the motor with. Got a chain hoist at my dad's, but that is far away. I will have to think on that one....

Since it is being such a bugger, I am imagining that it has been a loooonnnnggg time since it was off. Good time to replace the impeller!

I really appreciate the tips!

 

[Cofe]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

At the risk of being called a shade tree mechanic, I once have hung a motor upside down in a tree to get the lower unit off. I now have a nice hoist setup that works nicely.

I sure got a lot of gawkers driving by and looking at the motor in the tree.

Keep on working with it.......

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

At the risk of being called a shade tree mechanic, I once have hung a motor upside down in a tree to get the lower unit off. I now have a nice hoist setup that works nicely.

I sure got a lot of gawkers driving by and looking at the motor in the tree.

Keep on working with it.......

I am either going to use a tree or use the section of ceiling in the garage that I hang my deer with. I know the tree will handle it, but am not so sure of the ceiling.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

I have been spraying PB whenever I go by the motor. When hanging the motor, can I hang it using the prop shaft as the anchor point? I am going to try to use the cavitation plates, too, so it will sit level. It is worth a shot, anyway. I finally will have time tomorrow to get it up.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Hung it upside down and it won't budge. I have used pry bars, screwdrivers, and wedges. The only thing I have managed to do is mar the surfaces. So, I hooked it up between two trees with a come-a-long on the engine removal loop and tried putting it under pressure before using the wedges. I still can't get it to budge.

So...I called the closest outboard shop(45 miles) and they said that they have some that they can't even get off. He also said that you are pretty much done if they cant' get it off. I got to thinking that if I could only get at the shaft, I could get some heat on it and get it to release.

Assuming I could find the 20" transom, what if I cut out the section of transom that is covering the shaft and then replace it with another one upon re-assembly? If I take it to the outboard motor shop, it will cost my $80-$100, but maybe the 20" transom would cost the same and I would know I could get it off. Otherwise, if the shop can't get it off, I am out the $100.

When it was hanging upside down, I couldn't even get it open far enough to get the PB nozzle back into it. I am really pretty mad at the difficulty of removal, to put it politely.

 

[bthompson]

Re: 1973 65hp Evinrude Triumph lower unit removal difficulty

Bump.

Also, I realized when reading the thread that I used "transom" instead of "exhaust housing". I would think I can find these pretty easily since the only way they could get messed up would be weird things like car accidents, etc.

In measuring the exhaust housing, I come up with 17" from the top surface to the surface that meets the lower unit. I only see a 15" and a 20" option on the IPL. Where does that put me?