89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

[scottmm73]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

View attachment 198399I THINK!!! That's the seal that goes in another part.
The rubber bellows went by/by and it was replaced with a new/old style cover.
You only have the seal and need the plate.
Look up the part #s #53 in the diagram.
Someone listed a replacement part on here. Not sure WHO??
I can get an old one if you can't find the part?

Oh...so when they replaced the bellows with this new seal they also replaced the cover assembly? The cover assy is unavailable to. What's a guy to do?

 

[maytheforcebewithus]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

there are plenty around still...
F2A550706 Gear Housing Cover Mercury Force 125 HP 1251X6A | eBay

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

See there you go. TY,Force.
That's not a bad price either.
The new cost over $150.
That's gonna need a new o-ring or 2 and a new plate gasket..
When you re-assemble the part only needs light tourqe and will need to be pressure tested.
I had a leak and no matter what I did I couldn't get that part to seal.
I used sillycone and solved the problem.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

That bellows IS the seal. The other seal shown is for a different type of water pump lower body. If you can NOT get the bellows, you must buy another water pump lower plate . And perhaps even a new shift rod as there is a groove in the rod at the upper portion of the bellows. You must use a zip tie to ensure the top of the bellows is tight on the shift rod.

If you do get the bellows, then upon reassembly, you must screw in the shift rod all the way then unscrew 4 full turns. Failure to unscrew 4 turns may prevent shifting into forward.

If you have the old style seal--it was used from 1960s Chrysler engines on up until Merc. changed Force to a Mercury lower unit-- To remove it you thread in a large lag screw and pull it out.

When installing a new one, you press it in steel side up. Press in just enough to creat a slick drag on the rod, not so tight that it starts to make movement difficult. To press in, I use an appropriate sized socket and a length of 1/2 inch copper tubing on top of that. Then I hammer it in until I have the drag correct. Lubricate the the shift rod and seal before installing. DO NOT install the seal then install the shift rod. The threads on the bottom of the rod can damage the seal.

 

[scottmm73]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

Okay Frank, so what you are saying, if I go with the new style I am looking at purchasing a new gear housing cover (is this what you are calling the water pump lower plate? If not what item number are you referring to?), a new shift rod, and the new seal.

When installing a new one, you press it in steel side up.

Are you discussing installing the new style seal or the old bellows here.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

I think he's talking about the new seal.
Don't think you'll need a new shift rod.
Yes you'll need to buy the gear housing cover. Like Force showed you.
This isn't a new part it's actually the old style.The bellows didn't perform as they planned.
Your gonna get a new/used cover and install the new seal you bought.

 

[scottmm73]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

Okay, so apparently when they went to the new style shift rod seal. The Lower Unit assembly was changed in design also. Picture 1 shows the plate with the new style seal.

The old style plate with bellows seal. Notice the difference.

An old junked 89 85 hp lower unit with new style plate.

So sometime in 1989 they changed lower units all together, unless this junked 89 had a new lower unit replacement, which is possible, it was a salt water motor.

So Jerry, you said you could get me the bellows? I'm not about to swap lower units this summer. I need a bellow seal. Anyone?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

No I said the plate,not the bellows.
The bellows one, is the new style.
The older long one was the original and was replacing the bellows.
They found the "new" bellows was WAY inferior.
Then they changed it back to the old style.
That's what I was offering.
Why the red circle in the pic?
Does your lower unit have the front hole for the bolt?

 

[scottmm73]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

No, in picture 2(which is the lower unit I am working on) as you can see I have a 2 mount bolts beside the shift rod that mounts the plate to the lower unit (Post #17, shows the forward portion to my lower unit, no bolt hole). The plate with the regular pressed seal, not the bellows, has 1 bolt mounted forward with no bolts beside the shift rod. See my dilemma?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 89 Force 85 Lower unit...confusing

Contact Mercury parts/service.
These guys will know what's available.
They have a tech section that can fix anything.