upper bearing replacement

[basspirate]

i have a 1978 140 evinrude that needs a new upper main bearing as the flywheel has slight play. i have the original evinrude manual which says the engine must be stripped down to get to the main bearing but i noticed that it seems as though if i take the 4 bolts off under the flywheel next to the seal the carrier should come off then i could replace the bearing. would this work or do i have to disassemble the powerhead to replace the bearing

 

[F_R]

Re: upper bearing replacement

i have a 1978 140 evinrude that needs a new upper main bearing as the flywheel has slight play. i have the original evinrude manual which says the engine must be stripped down to get to the main bearing but i noticed that it seems as though if i take the 4 bolts off under the flywheel next to the seal the carrier should come off then i could replace the bearing. would this work or do i have to disassemble the powerhead to replace the bearing

You probably can pull the crankcase head and bearing assembly out. However, it is extremely unlikely that only the bearing is bad. The crankshaft is the inner race for the bearing rollers, and one doesn't wear without trashing the other. Not only that, there are two other bearings also supporting the crankshaft. In fact none of the bearings should be worn unless it has been ingesting water into the crankcase. What condition is the rest of it in? You may be wasting a bunch of money on a dead horse.

Part number 387432 Crankcase head and bearing assembly, $333.50.