1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

[Karla45]

I took the lower unit off and this is first time I have ever done. When I took it off 2 parts fell on the ground, 1 is what i believe is the driveshaft retainer showed in picture but should't there be a seal in it, the second thing in the picuture is a black tube and I am not sure what this part is and where it goes. I have a diagram for my exact lower case but could not tell.

Second photo is a picture of the bellows on the shift rod, it had a white twist tie wrapped around it(visible in picture) and I am not sure if that is supposed to be there, could anybody help me with this? Also, the water pump housing is cracked and was just wondering what types of problems this could cause if any, I do plan on replacing but wanted to know?

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

The stainless steel collar in the first pictures slides down on top of the drive shaft. There is a ridge o the drive shaft about 2 or 3 inches down from the top that keeps it from sliding all the way down. The lip faces up. The rubber boot slides down on top of the drive shaft and fits into the lip on the collar. The stainless steel collar holds the rubber boot in place to prevent it from sliding down. The rubber boot holds some grease on the splines on the end of the drive shaft.

The tie wrap on the shift rod boot was probably there to stop a leak? It's looks as though someone jury rigged a fix. The cracked water pump housing may affect cooling water flow to the engine block.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Well when I put air lower case and sprayed with soap & water the bellows did not show that there was a leak no bubbling but there was alot of bubbling around the drive shaft which i guess means that a seal underneath the cover is leaking or I am not sure but I had the water pump off so if this provides an extra sealing then I guess air would leak out there?

So now I have the cover part of the way off but the bellows is keeping it from coming off all the way, i think that the twist tie is keeping it from sliding up over the shift rod, I really do not want to tear this part up since it costs over $100. Dang, I wish I had the earlier Force 85hp 1989 lower unit the shift rod seal is much cheaper. The clymer manual does not have diagram for my lower unit

Also the diagram shows that there should also be a seal with the driveshaft I did not see one or is the rubber boot considered the seal. I wish I knew what the black boot was called on the diagram, this would help? here is diagram http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Merc2/Force/85 H.P. (1989)/856X9G/GEAR HOUSING/parts.html

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Okay now I have cut the twist tie off the bellows and the gear housing cover will only go so far up the shift rod and something is keeping it from moving up more. Is the gear case cover 2 pieces or something, I cannot figure out what is blocking this?

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Did you remove the water pump?

 

[tater76]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Why are you trying to remove the cover? is the unit leaking? Water in the oil? Zip ties are cheap, lower unit seal kits for this are not too bad. The water pump housing needs repair or replace. If it were me (tightwad) I would epoxy the housing back together. If it has no evidence of water in the gear oil don't mess with it.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

The water pump is removed and also the screws for gear housing cover. In the picture you can see what I have removed but there is something hindering it from going all the way up. This is why I asked if this was two piece because there is a line in the middle of this plate and I am wondering if that seperates too? If it does then I have a job on my hands.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Why are you trying to remove the cover? is the unit leaking? Water in the oil? Zip ties are cheap, lower unit seal kits for this are not too bad. The water pump housing needs repair or replace. If it were me (tightwad) I would epoxy the housing back together. If it has no evidence of water in the gear oil don't mess with it.

Because there was water in oil and the unit was leaking. I am definetly not doing it for fun. I also put air into the vent plug and then sprayed with water/soap mix to see where leak was coming from and it started bubbling around the driveshaft and I could also hear the air coming out. True, seals are not expensive. Mainly I am just trying to get some help here without going over and making a long post on how I got to this point. Right now I am really needing help with my questions I have been asking here in this thread.

 

[tater76]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Ahhh... Sorry karla, I just got caught up reading your previous threads, sorry about that. I have 2 of the exact same lowers as you are working on. It's late now, but I will look in the morn to see what is holding you up.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

okay thanks so much. The manual has not really helped at all. I did finally read the the bellows needs to be removed by using a punch but you have to take housing off and use punch on the underside, so now at least I know it cannot be removed by pulling up on it which would have torn it up, ouch! would have cost me $115 for that part. Looks like it does not have to be removed in order to get the cover to move up over the shift rod. What is holding it up I do not know but it is this end of the housing that is keeping it from moving all the way off.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Top pic is the driveshaft rubber gromet (keeps grease in) and the gromet seat.
From now on the shaft that comes out the top is the drive shaft.The shaft with the prop is the propshaft.The rubber boot is called a bellows.Didn't know they were so expensive.
That way we know what your describing(I'm old and suffer from CRS).
The tie wrap is to make a tighter seal.It keeps grease in.
The bellows should slide over the shaft.Spray wd-40 on it to help.
You remove the impeller key?
Replace the pump housing.It looks like it's melted a bit.It will suck air and not be as efficent.

The cover with seals should just pull up.The shift rod and the drive shaft need to be clean.
Once the cover is off.Look at the drive shaft for deep grooves where the seals ride.J

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

I would suspect that one or more of the studs may be slightly bent and binding up as you try and lift the cover off, or there is a tight spot on the shift rod as the bellows slides up.

 

[tater76]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

I agree with pnwboat, I just slid the plate on my parts lower up and off easily. I just took the bolts out and pulled gently until it let loose. I can see if there were any variation in the studs it would bind. Make sure when you pull up it is even all the way around, if its cockeyed it may be holding you up.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Well I am pretty much pulling straight up on it. On my model they called this part bellows instead of shift rod seal. I would have thought this would come off easily myself. One thing i know for sure is that if i try to pull the bellows(seal) off by just moving it up the shift rod then it would tear it up. I can tell that nothing is bent and causing this I am wondering if I have to remove the shift rod first, although I am not sure how to do that. If I pull up on the cover any harder then I am afraid I will tear up whatever is on the bottom of the shift rod that keeps it from coming out. I am pretty sure that the studs are not causing it to bind. Tater did your unit have a shift rod seal on it or was it a bellows.

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

If it's not binding up on the studs then I'm pretty sure that you can simply unscrew the shift rod from the pivot arm down in the gear case. Only problem is the the pivot arm needs to be in the correct position to engage the rod in the gear case that moves the clutch dog when you re-install the gear case cover screw the external shift rod back in. Not impossible, but may take a few attempts. Unless anyone else has an idea?

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Top pic is the driveshaft rubber gromet (keeps grease in) and the gromet seat.
From now on the shaft that comes out the top is the drive shaft.The shaft with the prop is the propshaft.The rubber boot is called a bellows.Didn't know they were so expensive.
That way we know what your describing(I'm old and suffer from CRS).
The tie wrap is to make a tighter seal.It keeps grease in.
The bellows should slide over the shaft.Spray wd-40 on it to help.
You remove the impeller key?
Replace the pump housing.It looks like it's melted a bit.It will suck air and not be as efficent.

The cover with seals should just pull up.The shift rod and the drive shaft need to be clean.
Once the cover is off.Look at the drive shaft for deep grooves where the seals ride.J

Not sure what you are talking about I have not referred to the prop shaft anywhere in this thread. The only thing I can think of where you might have misunderstood me is where I talked about spraying soap on shaft(I was referring to the driveshaft). I did not spray any soap around the prop area or on the prop shaft. To clarify this more I sprayed soapy water around the driveshaft in the area where it meets the housing cover since I knew seals would be under there or a better way of putting it is the area under the water pump where the driveshaft is. I hope this does not confuse any further.

The bellows is on the shift rod not the shaft and this may be where the confusion is I am not sure.

Yes, I removed the impellar key.

I still need to figure out what the trick is to get the housing cover off . The bellows is glued in pretty tight to the cover. The manual says that in order to remove the bellows it has to be pushed through from the bottom. Unfortuntately that is all the manual says in regards to this. One thing I have noticed and this may be why the bellows is so expensive they sell this as a gearhousing cover kit, so I am assumuing it comes with the gearhousing and bellows attached to gearcase housing cover. Hopefully someone will chime in and help out with this still need to know how to get this off.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

If it's not binding up on the studs then I'm pretty sure that you can simply unscrew the shift rod from the pivot arm down in the gear case. Only problem is the the pivot arm needs to be in the correct position to engage the rod in the gear case that moves the clutch dog when you re-install the gear case cover screw the external shift rod back in. Not impossible, but may take a few attempts. Unless anyone else has an idea?

So all I need to do is start turning the shift rod and it will come unscrewed or are you referring to the screw that is on the outside of the gearcase called pin shift pivot #43 on my diagram, see above posts for my diagram if you do not mind looking? I am weary of taking the pin shift pivot(screw) out because I have read on this forum about how people remove this accidentally thinking it is the drain plug for gear oil. They say that the whole lower case has to be unassembled to get it adjusted like it is suppose to be. What I do not know is if they are referring to the lower gear case where the prop and all of that is or if they are talking about the upper part of the lower case where I am working right now.

Hopefully, someone else will chime in here and give confirmation that this is the route to go. I would hate to make matters worse.

 

[tater76]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Karla, my 89 85hp lower unit does not have bellows like yours. There is a seal held down with a stainless peice. The seal easily slid up the shift shaft with the entire plate. I am not really certain what to tell you at this point. I am confident you could replace the bellows seal with a standard one like mine though. Hope that helps?

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Thanks for answering me tater. I appreciate your trying to help. My only concern with ripping off the bellows(shift rod boot) is that I do not know if it has a different function than just being a seal. I have heard about people changing their unit that has the bellows(shift rod boot) there instead of a typical seal but from what I read they had to buy a different shift rod for it too. I can say this is pretty frustrating. Right now I am contemplating whether to remove the shift rod but I am waiting for clarification or confirmation on whether this is the route to go it may be the only route not sure. I am also not sure if I can remove the shift rod by just simply turning it from above the gear housing cover or if I have to unscrew pivot pin from outer lower case which I have heard is not a good thing to do. I did just have a thought though the people who have changed there set up to where it just takes a typical seal said their shift rods were two pieces. It could be that it unscrews somewhere in the bellows(shift rod boot). I think i will try and see.:facepalm: I can say if I turn the shift rod right now the bellows are not keeping it from turning so I know it is not an issue of being stuck to the shift rod.

 

[Karla45]

Re: 1st time lower unit removal, what is this part and where does it go?

Yeah I just figured it out. You just have to turn the shift rod to unscrew but you do not have to unscrew the pivot pin on the outer part of the lower case. I was just starting to think there was no hope here. In the picture I have circled in red where the shift rod screwed into. Once I unscrewed the shift rod the gear housing came right off. Also, I wanted to thank Jerry for posting some pictures for me of a lower unit stand he made. From looking at his pictures I made one myself last weekend for less than $10 and it works great!!