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  1. #1
    Member
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    Apr 2012
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    Insomnia, near Seaford Delaware
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    Home maintenance on my 175DF

    Was fishing with a friend a couple of months ago and due to a misunderstanding (his fault) I backed over his fishing line and wound it up with my prop. After I got the hook out of his thumb I unwound the line from my prop and we went home. I took the SS prop off and sure enough, the line had penetrated the prop seals. I removed the seals using the screw method and bought two as required from my local Suzuki dealer. I tried to reinstall new seals but no matter what I tried they would not seat far enough in to replace the snap ring. I had to remove the two new seals using the screw method, which destroys the seals. I found corrosion behind the inner seal which prevented it from seating against the housing. I scraped it out using a sharpened screwdriver blade, painted the inside of the housing, and installed two new seals. Mo money. I filled the housing with new fluid, and it hasn't leaked since. Except.....

    I walked past the back of the boat about two weeks ago, and there was oil on the floor under the L/U. I inspected the outside of the L/U and removed the prop. There was no oil inside the prop housing or on the propeller. There was, however, oil leaking out of the water inlet slots on the side of the L/U. I drained the oil, it was still blue, but had a little water in it. Since leaks go down and aft (they did when I worked on airplanes) I determined the oil was coming out of the driveshaft seal assembly. The Suzuki dealer said he didn't have the seals or the O ring, that would take up to two weeks to get and he would then have to schedule shop time to get them c hanged, because as he said "That can be a bitc* to get off and sometimes requires heat" with a torch.

    I removed the L/U, about a 20 minute job, and looked at the seal assembly. Got the part number for the seal holder and seal assembly, put it in the computer and found a Suzuki dealer in Florida advertising one on eBay. I live in Delaware. It was Thursday I had a tournament scheduled next Wednesday. I paid $41 extra and had it air shipped up next day. I measured the nut holding the seal assembly in, it fits around the driveshaft and figured it was about 36mm., which equates to about 1 & 7/16 inches. I went through my tools and had wrenches less and more than that but not that one. I called my buddy Bill but he was at work, he thought he might have one. I went to his house his wife let me in his shop and sure enough, he had one. 40 mile drive back home, put the wrench on it and it was tight, but I worked it back and forth and got it off. Lubed the seals and O ring, inspected the shaft for wear, and installed the new one, tightened it, refilled the L/U and so far, three or four trips, no leaks. I'll drain the L/U later, change the lube and check for water.

    Sometimes, when your back is against the wall, you gotta come out fighting. I didn't have time to wait for my local shops.

  2. Member
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    Aug 2012
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    London UK
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    #2
    Well played. Much more satisfying when you fix it yourself. Now tell more about how your friend squealed when he was hooked by the motor!

  3. Member
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    Apr 2012
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    Insomnia, near Seaford Delaware
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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Kelly View Post
    Well played. Much more satisfying when you fix it yourself. Now tell more about how your friend squealed when he was hooked by the motor!
    He said, I'm stuck. It was just after I started the motor and said I'm leaving. Well, he was fishing on the back deck so I backed up thinking his lure was stuck on a tree. Oops, he really started screaming, he had his hook in his hand and his line trailing the boat. He got very nasty, and I used the string method to remove the hook. Then I backed the boat up to the bank and made him get out and try to get his line out of the prop. He was not happy.
    Squealed like a little piggy.

  4. Member
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    Aug 2012
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    London UK
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    881
    #4
    It's funny when it's not you.

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    Insomnia, near Seaford Delaware
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    35,449
    #5
    I might add that my Suzuki is a 2006 that I bought off a salt water boat cheap and I mean damn cheap. I won't say how much but a lot less than $4000. It had 120 hours on it and a bad trim/tilt unit. I looked at the TT on my blown up Evinrude and it looked exactly like the bad one on the Suzy, I checked it out and all I had to do was make a bushing for the top pin and change the electrical wire ends.
    When I describe the things I do on it, it's because I am too tight to pay somebody else to do it and wait for them.
    I now have over 400 hours on it.
    I might also add I bought my SS prop (the 19 pitch wouldn't do) for $50 new at my door, someone was clearing out inventory. I bought 4. It's a 16 inch diameter 24.5 pitch, which works pretty good for an old heavy Stratos.