Water pump replacement

[bigfoot17]

So I'm about do my first replacement of the impeller and water pump housing on my 1989 175hp black max. Was wondering what type of lubricant I may need for the splines and inside the water pump housing if any? And do I need to have it in gear when I complete the task?

[mxmike]

I put my motors in forward gear before dropping the lower unit . That way when I am reinstalling the lower unit (generally by myself), I can turn the prop to align the drive shaft rather than having to try to reach up and turn the fly wheel.

Use Dawn dish washing soap for lubrication of the impeller and housing. NOT OIL OR GREASE! and make sure the impeller fins are turned the direction of running rotation.

Use grease on the sides of the drive shaft splines. I try to avoid getting any grease on the top of the shaft.
Also, use Genuine Mercury/Quicksilver parts, not aftermarket.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[bigfoot17]

I put my motors in forward gear before dropping the lower unit . That way when I am reinstalling the lower unit (generally by myself), I can turn the prop to align the drive shaft rather than having to try to reach up and turn the fly wheel.

Use Dawn dish washing soap for lubrication of the impeller and housing. NOT OIL OR GREASE! and make sure the impeller fins are turned the direction of running rotation.

Use grease on the sides of the drive shaft splines. I try to avoid getting any grease on the top of the shaft.
Also, use Genuine Mercury/Quicksilver parts, not aftermarket.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you very much! Very helpful.

[06 SB]

I put my motors in forward gear before dropping the lower unit . That way when I am reinstalling the lower unit (generally by myself), I can turn the prop to align the drive shaft rather than having to try to reach up and turn the fly wheel.

Use Dawn dish washing soap for lubrication of the impeller and housing. NOT OIL OR GREASE! and make sure the impeller fins are turned the direction of running rotation.

Use grease on the sides of the drive shaft splines. I try to avoid getting any grease on the top of the shaft.
Also, use Genuine Mercury/Quicksilver parts, not aftermarket.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Pretty much the way I do it but use neutral. I have a buddy turn the flywheel.

[JOE54]

I use a remote starter button in neutral mostly

[bigfoot17]

Now I don't own a service manual, so wondering when tightening the nuts and bolts after job is complete if I need to be very specific with torque lbs?

[JOE54]

nuts 50, bolt 35 INCH LBS thats now

[bigfoot17]

So I put the motor in gear (forward) before I started. Everything went ok replacing the housing and impeller. Im having a problems lining up gear shift line. Everything else is ok. Didn't have any issue with the splines on the main drive shaft, just having a problem matching the splines for the gear shift. I did not touch the throttle handle at any time. Any suggestions? I'm all but there.

[mxmike]

Are you sure it is the shift shaft splines that are holding you up???? Or is it the driveshaft not all the way up into the powerhead????

Shift shaft should slide right in(with a little guiding) as the gap between the lower unit and mid section closes.

[bigfoot17]

Definitely the shift shaft because we had the main shaft all the way up and the bolts in position to tighten UNTIL I realized the shift shaft wasn't connected. So when I tried it again, the shift shaft was preventing us from reattaching.

I just can't seem to get the shift line to rotate at all to manipulate it. Does it spin freely in neutral?

[mxmike]

I sending you you a PM

[bigfoot17]

I sending you you a PM

Ok

[rgsauger]

Put the shifter in neutral at helm. Mark shifter shaft center position with sharpie marker. Now put shifter at helm in forward. Note new position of shift shaft and direction of rotation. This is the direction that forward gear is on your lower unit.

Wrap a rag around the upper driveshaft splines and loosely clamp vice grips around it.

Rotate driveshaft slowly and twist shifter shaft on lower with channel locks in direction indicated above. The case will go into gear.

Grab prop and rotate prop backward slowly. Driveshaft will spin. If it ratchets, you turned the small shift shaft the wrong way and are in reverse.

Put grease on splines of driveshaft and raise into position. Line up water tube and such and start to install lower. Have an assistant align the long shift shaft to the shifter input shaft or just do it yourself. You can lift the shaft slightly and wiggle it and then engage the small splines and lower it back down over the splines. Slide lower full up and secure front nut on stud. A ratchet strap or buddy can be helpful here.

A skinny screwdriver or wire can wiggle the copper tube to line up with water tube. I stab the copper up top and the align the lower tube when I seat the lower unit.

If the driveshaft splines don't quite align, rotate propeller backwards slightly and they will line up.

Good luck! Holler if you need to. Pm sent

[krindgen]

Some guys will say just "bump" the starter a little. Worked on my ol' OMC.