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Anyone seen this issue with a bf225?

Yep - there are several posts on this forum of the midshaft drive bearing failing, and sometimes eating through the casing. It is not always because of a leaking t-stat.

I would really like to hear from some of the more knowledgable folks on this forum on how to prevent that from happening, since I'm approaching 1,000 slatwater hours on my BF 225.
 
Am dealing with the shaft bearing failure now. Inherited twin 225s on a catamaran out of florida. One of the housings looks exactly like your photo, the bearing in the other had failed the extension case was intact and serviceable. A new extension case is $700 and the bearings $23. Easy to get out and to grease and will be regular seasonal maintenance from here on out.

Curious to know if the drive shafts are still going to be safe to use with some very minor scoring left after hitting them with fine emery cloth. Any advice on this would be appreciated, if not I can have the shafts replaced before I put everything back together and give em a run. I'd rather not do it though.
 
Just wondering what boat you have and what props your running. I'm doing a re-power starting Monday with 150's. I have a 2509 Trophy with a hard top. 4400# bare boat. Add top, fuel, gear, full ice chests, 3 guys, camp, ect. and she may be getting up to 9000#++ The best all around props on my 130's are a pair of 13 1/2 x 13 4 blade SS. Lost cruise speed, but have great hole shot when loaded. Also use her at sea level, and at 3000 Ft. to make an all around prop hard to find.
 
hdean said:
Just wondering what boat you have and what props your running. I'm doing a re-power starting Monday with 150's. I have a 2509 Trophy with a hard top. 4400# bare boat. Add top, fuel, gear, full ice chests, 3 guys, camp, ect. and she may be getting up to 9000#++ The best all around props on my 130's are a pair of 13 1/2 x 13 4 blade SS. Lost cruise speed, but have great hole shot when loaded. Also use her at sea level, and at 3000 Ft. to make an all around prop hard to find.
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Merc Rev 4's in 17"
 
saltyjoe said:
Happened with my 2003 200hp motor...
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My 2002 225 has only 310 hours and I was dismayed to see minor scoring on the driveshaft and the rubber around the bronze (?) bushing cold flowed into the 7/8" gap in the bushing housing. When I removed the bushing, the housing was caked with salt deposits, and I have been flushing faithfully with Salt Away since new! This thing is WATER LUBRICATED and the rubber surrounding the bushing has grooves in it so water flows between the rubber bushing and the housing. When this area builds up salt deposits, it distorts the rubber into the 7/8" gap and the bronze bushing starts wearing on the driveshaft. So far, this is the poorest design I have seen on my Honda. Some say to lubricate the bushing but I don't think any kind of grease will last very long in that area. Only thing I know to do is check that bearing, maybe yearly and if the the rubber is distorted into that 7/8 gap, pull it and replace it before it trashes your shaft or case. As for the Salt Away , ( I used it according to directions) I'm going to stop using it because of the oily, almost greasy salt deposits I found around the thermostats and other accessible passages in the motor.
 
Illesheim71 said:
I only meant I'm not sure what the bushing is made of. Bronze colored, most likely a softer metal than the shaft.
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got you thanks for fast reponse on last post, going to have like $2000. in this matenience stuff waiting on second order to come now to finish.. I keep telling wife I am saving lots of Labor $ by doing myself she is good with it so far plus it keeps me out of the house while working on it outside :)
 
replaced vertical bushing in both mid cases today using a socket and extension on top of old washer to push it down in to slot below line for c-clip ..

ON one bushing ruber became a little distored but I was able to get washer and clip on bronze bushing it brand new , DOES anyone see problem with using vertical bushing bearing even though squeezed a little ?

I am not sure if I should get a puller and use another bushing ? Looks like it should be okay but don't want to have to buy another mid case like other motor did :( Any imput before Sunday morning would be great going to finish install in morning
 
Aristikat,

I'd definitely try to pull it back out and get it in properly. If it is cocked in the housing you are starting with uneven support when the shaft flexes. The salt deposits that build up in these bearings and cause the distortion are the cause of the uneven wear, disintigration and eventual scoring of the shafts I have seen first hand.

I used dawn dish soap to push mine up in there and that worked well. You might be able to spray a thin solution of soap up in there in a squeeze bottle and then try to twist the bearing as you pull it out. I was able to pull mine out after I first tried to put it in dry and it stuck two thirds of the way in. I was using the detached arm of a two arm flywheel puller to grab the bushing from above. I also used a long nose vicegrips with a rubber sheet on the jaws to keep from scoring the bearing and pulled on both at the same time.

I am considering running one of my engines without this bearing at all next summer as I ran one engine for most of last summer with the bearing completely shot and it obviously did more damage to the shaft than it would have without a bearing. I don't put the hammer down on the engines ever, gradual increase in throttle to cruise on my catamaran so I don't see the shaft slopping around too much and besides, what kind of help can a pot metal bushing in a cheap rubber sleeve really be anyway? Just my two cents.

Good luck.
 
okay all more imput, sounds like might listen to the consciense saying put it in right, I would have to go to auot zone rent puller called them other day deposit of $170 But get it back when I bring puller back ? I have a back up vertical bushing , I coated bushing with grease to help slid in, hondatic , the new case it went in pretty smooth but old case that I used a dremel to clean hole still went in rough, I used some force to get in so to get out might be tricky more then likey will ruin bushing, BUT as it sits bushing is in there straight the rubber is squeezed a little is all and looks like should work BUT just wanted to make sure lots of effort gone into these motors this week :) Hondatic thanks for fast response !!!!
 
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Mine distorted slightly. I used a long square shafted screwdriver (wedged against the rubber in the c-shaped opening and the inside case) and "massaged" the bulged area. Seemed to help. The metal bushing has two flats that mate with the rubber part (to prevent spinning). I wondered if re-orienting the bushing in the case would prevent the tendency to "bulge"?? Second the use of lubricant on bushings and o-rings.
 
vertical bushing bearing.jpgwent back to previous post on vertical bushing , found pic that rednspeck posted and looks just like what I had the new one do heres his pic but what mine also looks like as we speak
 
In the photo it looks like the one of the flats is aligned (more or less) with the opening. Wonder if it would have less bulge if it were turned 90 deg.??
 
On mine there is no turning , old bushing has the flat side as you say but new bushing to me is round no flat spots that I see... But went back out to look again rubber is bulging but bushing is straight... ,

I still am second guessing if I should pull why its here but I think I would need to get dremel out once again because obviously it doesn't slide smoothly as other have said or as the brand new case did on other engine... ?
going to call Autozone spend extra hour to dremel and use extra new bushing I have call it fait that I had extra one in first place... Unless someone thinks its a non issue seems like all so far says not worth taking risk of need new case or driveshaft :(
 
The gap between the rubber bulging and the bushing just looks like the perfect place for salt deposit to build up and start deforming rubber further right away. Also exposes the bushing to saltwater directly and constantly but I guess it's all underwater most of the time anyway. I'm going to pull my lower units off as soon as it warms up enough here to work without freezing my hands, maybe April, and see how they look after 30 hours running last fall after I got everything back together. I have one new motor and one of the motors that came on the boat so we will see how they compare.

It also seems to me that if the rubber is bulging out that much, the rubber inside of the housing must be thinner than normal in some area/areas already and that means even if it looks strait, it might be off-center already.

I'm not an expert yet, my experience is only from working on my engines last summer but I have done everything you have done and more, replaced two center housings as both of mine were trashed beyond repair due to bearing failures. Still have to get the shafts in the old lower units replaced this spring as with only 300 hours on each they are scored beyond use.
 
The bronze part has two flats on it and can be seen by lifting up the rubber part that overlaps the end. (keeps the bronze part from spinning inside the rubber part). By turning it 90 deg., I meant you would have to remove the bushing assy., and re-install so the flats were not in line with the opening in the housing. Again, I'm not sure if this would help with the bulge or not.
 
I will take pics of mine in am before and after I pull out etc...

thanks all

hondatic,
I am sending you a pm with a link to a guy who rebuilds lower units , I found him searching forum awhile back and when my gearcase took a dump it was scary what they wanted for new ones and hard to even find someone to work on then I called this guy spoke to him on Friday afternoon had a new gear case at my door on Thursday unpacked, put dead one in box, and send back with prepaid deleivery back. was awesome experience to say the least. unit came with new shafts etc...
 
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