1995 Force 120HP

[Bellybuster08]

I'm thinking about buying and installing a water pump kit. Can anyone tell me how difficult a job this would be for this engine? Any special tools or anything needed?

 

[RRitt]

Re: 1995 Force 120HP

After you get the lower unit off it is easy to do and requires no special tools. If your housing has pits then a new housing is ideal. I like to put in new housing every few years. However, a little JBweld can go a long way in a pinch. Fill in the pit, gently sand it flush with 220/400 grit and then hone it smooth. If no hone, then 600 grit wet/dry wrapped around a piece of foam pipe insulation will do the trick. <br /><br />I always put in new lower unit seals while I have the lower unit off. The cost of seals is cheap. The cost of water in your gearcase is expensive.

 

[Bellybuster08]

Re: 1995 Force 120HP

How hard is it to get the lower unit off?

 

[RRitt]

Re: 1995 Force 120HP

one half hour to drop lower unit. <br />one half hour to r&r impeller.<br />one hour to r&r gearcase seals and anode<br />three hours watching TV while gearcase passes pressure test.<br />one half hour to put everything back on motor<br /><br />add two hours per seized bolt. <br /><br />if seized bolt use impact driver (hammer power) or impact wrench (air power) combined with propane torch, vinegar, and PB-Blaster. Worst case scenario is a flush broken bolt. Avoid cheap thread extractors and drill bits. If one of them breaks off in the hole then you are really screwed. Always use cobalt bits for drilling stainless.<br /><br />if seized bolts common then coat shift cover and motor leg bolts with silicon gasket seal prior to re-installation.<br /><br />replace cotter pin holding shift linkage with new SS pin.<br /><br />you can buy half-size stainless bolts from boltdepot.com

 

[Bellybuster08]

Re: 1995 Force 120HP

That seized bolt thing sounds scary! What more can you tell me about the gearcase pressure test? What all does that involve?

 

[RRitt]

Re: 1995 Force 120HP

basically, you pump the gearcase with 10-12 psi of air pressure and wait. If air leaks out then you figure out where the leak is and fix it. don't overinfllate your gearcase or you'll blow out good seals. harbor freight sells a pressure tester for $15. I would expect northern tools to have something too. you can rig up an acceptable alternate with foot pump (that has built in pressure gauge) and plumbing valve. you could probably even turn a blood pressure ball pump into one if you wanted.<br /><br />seized bolts are the worst. they can turn a 10 minute job into a 10 hour job in the twist of a single bolt. It's not force. It's anywhere that stainless and aluminum come into contact with a conductor (such as salt water, acid rain, or polutted lakes). If you ran your boat in distilled water and stored it inside, then I doubt you'd ever see it.