Re: tearing into gearcase
To remove lower unit, first remove the little plate on the side of the leg to get to the shift rod coupler. Remove the bottom bolt from the coupler to free the lower shift rod. Now remove the large bolt at the back of the motor leg which goes through from the top. Then remove the bolts which hold the lower unit to the housing - they go in from the bottom. The lower unit and drive shaft should now drop down. Once off, remove the "dreaded" phillips screw from the bottom of the lower unit to release the shift yoke. Then remove the slotted screws which hold the skeg on - you may need a hand impact screwdriver for this job. Now you can remove the skeg and get to the gears and prop shaft seal. There is also a seal at the drive shaft beneath the water pump housing, and a shift rod seal which is a PIA to remove without a special tool. And while in there, best to replace the impeller. Once seals are replaced, put skeg back on with new spaghetti seal and sealer (I use Permatex Form-A-Gasket). Replace the phillips screw (make sure it goes through the hole in the shift yoke) and put on a new O-ring. Then pressure test. Pump it up to about 10psi and see if it holds pressure. If it does, put the lower unit back on, in the reverse order. Make sure the water tubes fit back into the grommets in the water pump housing (soap up the grommet a bit). When re-connecting the shift rod, make sure the recess in the top of the rod lines up with the bolt hole in the coupler. Then replace the bolt. If the shift rod isn't lined up properly, the coupler bolt will strip and the motor won't shift properly. Re-fill the lower unit with gearcase oil by pumping in from the bottom drain hole until it overflows the top vent hole. That's it! 20 minute job? I think not
