I just broke my drive shaft.

[misery]

The drive shaft just snapped off right below the impeller on my 1986 evinrude 90 hp, model # e90tlcdc. I have a driveshaft to put in it but i'm not sure how. Does the gearcase have to be stripped down or can the drive shaft be pulled out?
Thanks for the advise.

 

[JRegier]

Re: I just broke my drive shaft.

Just looking at an exploded view of your motor to verify that you DO need to pull apart the lower unit to get to a nut at the end of the driveshaft. Once you get that off you can remove the pinion gear at the end of the driveshaft and it should slide right out.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: I just broke my drive shaft.

The seal, bearing, carrier assembly needs to be removed, then two large snap rings, then reverse gear with its thrust bearing and thrust washer. Then you can get at the nut on the bottom of the driveshaft.

You'll need to grind on side of the wrench so that the curvature will slide over the clutch dog... needed to grab the nut securely.

Do not fully remove the nut but rather have it slightly higher than a flush position, then with a piece of wood and a hammer, tap the propshaft upwards to break the driveshaft away from the pinion gear.

Now with the lower unit upside down in a holding tool of some kind, gently remove the nut from the driveshaft by turning the driveshaft, leaving the pinion and nut where it sat (hopefully).

With careful patience, insert the new driveshaft upwards and very carefully align the D/S splines with the pinion gear. At this point you'll notice that the driveshaft is lifting the pinion nut. Carefully spin the nut in a tightening motion onto the driveshaft with a long thin screwdriver.

If you were able to follow thru with the above, you will now need one special tool to grab the top driveshaft splines in order to attach a torque wrench as that nut must be torqued to factory specifications.

Seems to me the torque specifications is 60 to 65 foot pounds. If I am in error on this, I'm sure someone will insert a correction for you.

NOTE: Some models have a lower pinion bearing that is a one piece unit, that is... the needle bearings cannot fall out. Other models have a pinion bearing whereas the needles are actually rollers and unfortunately this type bearing usually results in having the rollers fall out at some point. Should you be unlucky in this area, we can still walk you thru it.

 

[F_R]

Re: I just broke my drive shaft.

Joe, what say you about the selective pinion shims?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: I just broke my drive shaft.

F_R.... In simply replacing the driveshaft, although checking the shimming is considered mandatory (and personally I always have checked), I know of others who have simply reused the original shims if they weren't damaged and never encountered a problem. A gamble perhaps but it does make one wonder.

 

[misery]

Re: I just broke my drive shaft.

Thank you to all of you for your input. Joe, I muddled my way through it before I read your post and i did more or less what you said. I reused the shims and got the pinion nut tightened to what i feel was an old school 65 ft lbs. I'm not sure what the gear lash was supposed to be set at but it felt right. I water tested it today and it worked flawlessly. I'm no longer afraid of lower unit problems.