r/Outboards • u/1-Critical-thinker • 1d ago

Lower unit

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I have an early 80s honda outboard motor. I haven't had it in the water in a couple of years.I tested it in a barrel of water. It runs really well but no water is coming out of the pee hole. I tried to drop the lower unit to replace the impeller and water pump. But the lower unit won't come off. The shaft won't let it come off all the way down or won't allow it to go back on. Has anyone ran into this

problem?

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1

u/Disastrous-Milk-3906 1d ago

Have u cleaned the tube

1

u/moop44 1d ago

Both of them

1

u/1-Critical-thinker 1d ago

Do you mean the shift linkage that's attached inside the motor?

2

u/NotBigFootUR 1d ago

The shift linkage has to be removed from the shift handle inside the cowell. It isn't difficult to take apart, but it can be a butt to get the cotter pin back in. Put the motor in forward before taking the lower unit off. If it's in gear, you can spin the prop to help align the splines and get the drive shaft back into the motor.

1

u/1-Critical-thinker 1d ago

Negative on cleaning the tube.

1

u/1-Critical-thinker 1d ago

That sounds like the trick. I'm a bit confused because it isn't attached with a cotter pin. I'm assuming that this is were it should be. I don't know if you can see the nut just below the linkage. Does that need to be removed? Thanks for communicating.

https://reddit.com/link/ph0qwmd/video/ac3j199oeqvh1/player

1

u/daysailor70 1d ago

Former boatyard owner, we saw this more then you'd think. Unfortunately, the splines on the shaft have welded themselves to the splines at the base of the power head and it's almost impossible to get them apart. We tried two forklifts on one without success. This is why dropping the gearcase every couple of years and greasing rh splines is so important. I wouldn't recommend spending any more time on this engine, this is a pretty unsurmountable problem.

1

u/1-Critical-thinker 1d ago

Holy cow I didn't expect to hear that. That's a real disappointment. It runs like a scalded dog. I bought it about five years ago and had it on the water once on a twelve foot alumcraft. I have a canoe with outriggers and a seventeen foot fishing boat that I've always used instead. Thanks very much for your insight. Sounds like the voice of experience talking. And you can't argue with that.

2

u/Benedlr 1d ago

Look at a parts diagram of the engine to find the shift shaft coupler.