Stubborn Gearcase

[Jeffpanton]

I have a 1998 Yamaha 250 that I am trying to take off the lower unit (Gearcase) to change the impeller. I have pulled ALL the bolts, including the 2 under the zinc and the lower unit will not come off. It would seem that the shaft is siezed in the crankshaft.............HELP!!!!! Does anybody have an idea how I can get this lower unit off, I have rocked it back and forth, used brute force and just about everything else!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Stubborn Gearcase

hello<br /> did you remove 8 bolts and the trim tab or 7 bolts and the trim tab. the 3.1 litre cases are held on with 8 bolts. all 8 bolts have 14mm heads. if its a 25 or 30 inch motor it will also have a bushing that can stick in the exhaust housing. its rare to see a yamaha with a stuck drive shaft.<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[Jeffpanton]

Re: Stubborn Gearcase

Thanks for the reply! Yes I removed all 8 bolts, but the foot will not comedown. It is free at the rear by the zinc, however at the front it will not give any, hence my conclusion that it was the shaft that was stuck. I still have not been able to release it!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Stubborn Gearcase

ok now its time to use two large screwdrivers or tapered wooden wedges and gently pry it apart. they sometimes stick on the fwd dowel pin as well.<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[seahorse5]

Re: Stubborn Gearcase

Always pry in the area around the bolt holes because there is more "meat" there, instead of the thin areas around the rest of the gearcase and exhaust housing.<br /><br />An old timer's trick, (are you old enough, Rodbolt? ) is to level the motor and adjust the trailer tongue so that the skeg is several inches above a piece of wood laid on the ground. Hook up the flusher muffs and run the motor with all the gearcase bolts removed. The vibration and gravity (most of the time) will cause the shift splines or the driveshaft splines to come loose. The gearcase will then "fall" the few inches onto the protective wood below. Turn the motor off and remove the gearcase. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes of running to come loose.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Stubborn Gearcase

hahaha seahorse<br /> yep the old 3 cyl jonnyrudes were bad about it. I have run them like that while jumping on the cavitation plate as well. not safe but it came off. good luck and keep posting