stuck oil seal carrier

[Jcris]

I'm servicing the water pump assembly on my 1996 alpha 1 gen 2. The oil seal carrier is stuck in the gear housing. A screw driver in each hole will not budge it. I soaked the area around it with some PB blaster and am letting it soak while I ask a question here. This may actually be an original seal but I'm unsure. Any ideas about how to proceed?
Thanks,
Jcris

 

[Bt Doctur]

screwdriver in each hole and pry upwards or drill 2 new holes and try again

 

[Jcris]

I'll give that a try
Thanks Bt

 

[Jcris]

It still won't budge. I'm tempted to either gently heat the housing around it or cut it out with a dremel
I've tried several times to get this seal carrier moving. I'd be willing to bet this has never been replaced. The plastic carrier is very hard and brittle. I'm overly cautious as I don't want to create a bigger problem. If it comes out in pieces that may do just that.
Maybe if I slice a narrow section with a dremel on each side that would allow me to compress it with a small channel locks and break the bond. I wonder too if this was glued in place. Maybe some type of sleeve retainer glue? Then heat may prove to be the only answer

 

[kenny nunez]

After you cut a small section from the ring try to unscrew it and the sharp edge will help clear the thread for the new ring.

 

[JoLin]

It still won't budge. I'm tempted to either gently heat the housing around it or cut it out with a dremel

Neither should hurt anything. I did both mine this past spring. The seal assembly sits in a smooth bore- no inner lip or anything to screw up. The wear plate on the water pump holds it down.

Mine were in tight enough that philips screwdrivers just slipped out of the dimples when I tried to pry them out. I had to use a pair of flat blade screwdrivers to 'bite' into the plastic better, but the seals did finally pop out. Maybe try drilling the dimples deeper to get a better grip?

If you plan to pressure test the drive afterward, turn the shaft a couple revolutions to seat the new seal first. Mine leaked air at first, and I took the whole thing apart again for no good reason.

My .02

 

[Jcris]

Thanks guys,
Well the sob is out. Ended up drilling a series of 1/4" holes in the carrier. Then breaking it out piece by piece. Now that it's out I can clearly see the seal carrier I bought was not the right one. I also noticed a fair amount of play in the bearing below that carrier.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Dont be concerned about the loose shaft and bearing. ,its designed that way. The lower gears are designed to force the shaft upwards setting the pinion gear clearance #11 http://www.iboats.com/Mercruiser-Gen-II-Lower-Gearcase-Assembly-Exploded-View/dm/view_id.272971

 

[achris]

Pull up on the shaft. If there's still movement, then be concerned.

 

[Jcris]

Thanks guys,
Is there a special fitting/tool that will allow me to easily pressure test the gear housing? I bought a pump kit that has a fitting in it to do just that but the thread size is to small. Where can I get the right fitting?
Thanks,
Jcris
The adapter I got in the pump kit looks like 8mm thread and I need the 10mm thread
Still looking for a source

 

[Jcris]

Turns out the oil seal carrier I bought was correct. Also the bottle pump kit I bought had fittings for both the 8 and 10 mm drain plugs. I did a pressure check and all seems well .After watching a you tube video by none other than achris I'm on to reinstallation
Thanks for the help
Jcris

 

[achris]

The thread is 3/8", not 10mm.

 

[Jcris]

Thanks achris,
Before I started to button things up I noticed an oil seal on the upper portion of the shift shaft. Would that be the lower shift shaft seal? I'd like to replace that as it looks a bit perished. Does that seal press in below that bushing or do I need to remove the bushing first?

 

[achris]

It presses into the bushing.

 

[Jcris]

Very interesting,
The parts are on order. I'm going to replace both bushings and the oil seal. After removing the drive and inspecting everything the only spot that seemed a likely candidate to leak was this seal. The carrier seal and upper shift shaft assembly did not appear to have been leaking. There were no tell tale "tracks" to indicate any apparent leaks. Of course it's very difficult to really see what may have been the culprit and those seals may well have contributed to the leak.
The experience of taking this all apart has been invaluable. And thanks gentlemen for all the advise.
Jcris

 

[Bt Doctur]

Removing the shaft can be a bit tricky so go slow.stand the drive up verticle ans shift it into fwd. shaft in a straight line
Remove the 2 bolts and lift CAREFULLY like removing the pin from a grenade
Remove the hairpin clip and washer , slide shaft out of housing
R/R seal , assemble and reinstall making sure the shaft points in a straight line and the prop shaft is still locked CCW when you install the bolts

 

[Jcris]

No Title

Thanks,
I saw something that surprised me a bit and wondered your take on this. The end of the shift cable has a (SS?) wire running through it as a retainer of sorts. Is this typical or maybe a repair by a previous mechanic
Jcris
The water pump kit had two gaskets in it. One of which is metal. The old one was some sort of fiber material. Does that seem right?

 

[achris]

That wire on the shift slide is normal, but that one has been mashed. I'd check it with a view to replacing.