GLAMB or JUST IN TIME

"I am working on an 87 Force 5

"I am working on an 87 Force 50 hp A model

I am pulling the power head off of the motor leg, first time i have ever done this. my manual says to pull the flywheel and attach an item to it, and the hoist to that and pull the motor. is this how you guys do it? you let the crank carry the weight of the motor? this doesn't effect the main bearings or anything? this manual is very vague, and i don't know if the author is doing it this way because it is going to be torn down anyway, or if like in my case i am not planning on tearing down. the reason i am thinking that is because it says to take a lot of things off to pull the motor that i don't see the need to unless you are planning on doing a tear down on it. I know you guys have done a few of these so I thought i would run it by you. it would make the job a lot easier that is for sure, but i would think that supporting the crank and hanging from the crank would put two different loads on it and i don't want to find out the hard way. Thanks

I know what you are probably thinking... yes i dc have a manual, i do think that anyone who works on something without one is a fool, do i trust them? NO i have friends who write for mitchel and i wouldn't let them work on my lawn mower. my rule is the common sense rule... if in doubt, then check it out.
Thanks for the time and sharing the knowledge"

"I also have a 87 Force 50hp,

"I also have a 87 Force 50hp, and thankfully have not had to pull the power head. However I have a SELOC Force manuel #1100, it also states to remove sub assemblies, then flywheel, and install a lifting eye in the crankshaft for lifting. I am sure that is a standard method and no bearing damage will occur. You didn't say what manuel you are using."

"George, love your comments.

"George, love your comments.

In your case you can pull the powerhead as a (whole) unit.

I simply disconnect anything that would bind it to the lower cowl (gas line, tell-tale, any wiring etc) then unbolt her and pull it off.

It may appear "stuck". I use a fairly heavy duty paint scraper to kinda wedge it loose and then rock it until you break all the seal with the base gasket.

Then, if you ate your wheaties for breakfast, you can lift the powerhead yourself - ya it weights a bit, but I'm not a young guy anymore and can still pull the powerhead off my 140 horse if I don't have to move it much more than half a foot to my engine cart "

"Thanks Graham

Fortunately,

"Thanks Graham

Fortunately, I have a hoist so that is no problem. My buddy and I pulled a 350 short block out of my 56 Chevy 4x4, the truck is about 4’ in the air… we got it out without any problems, but it was quite the show to watch, he is 6’5 and I am 5’10 and that is what made it so hard to do. That is also why I have a hoist. Oh, the stupid things we do when we are young and don’t know any better. We get to soon old, and too late smart.
Thanks for the in put, I got it off with no problem, a lot easier than I had expected it would be. I start getting nervous when things start being easy or don’t have any problems…. Something has to be up, that never happens. I think they wrote “Murphy’s Law” with me in mind. “Nothing is as easy as it looks when someone else is doing it, and anything that can go wrong, usually does.” Have a good one. George"