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2002 Honda BF225 - Honda Service Bulletin #56

brian__c

Contributing Member
Based on a recommendation from chawk_man, I recently completed the work (replacing the exhaust pipes and oil pan gasket) associated with SB56 on my 2002 BF225. I'm a novice so the procedure took me about 7 hours to complete, but 2 of those hours were spent removing 1 bolt on the extension case. Removing the other 103 bolts was not a problem :). That one bolt was a
pain. After I broke a socket wrench (trying to loosen the bolt with the wrench and a hammer), I
bought a impact driver and still could not get it free. I finally got it to move by tying a long
crowbar to a socket wrench handle to get extra leverage. I've since bought another socket wrench
with a longer handle.

Background on the problem.
This was the third season I've owned the BF225 and for the most part I love the motor. The first
year I had an intermittent buzzer going off due to the O2 sensor. Once I replaced it, its been
fine. Every fall when I checked/replaced the spark plugs, I noticed that the lower 2 plugs were
darker than the others and that the lower port (#6) plug was difficult to remove.
Also, when inserting the #6 plug, I've never been able to insert it as far as the others (1 to 2
fewer rotations on the socket wrench). This year, I had a problem where I could not get above
4200 RPMs. I tried everything I could think of to deal with a fuel restriction problem (replaced
LP, HP and Racor filters, seafoam, etc) but could not get over 4200 RPMs. As a last resort, I
tried to replace the lower port plug and I was back to ~6000 RPMs. When I mentioned this on a
post, chawk suggested I check to see if SB56 was done. It wasn't, so I did it at the end of the
season.

It will be interesting to see how the engine runs next summer and how the plugs look in the fall.
Does anyone have any post-SB56 results to share? I will be sure to update this post next
fall after I winterize the engine and check the plugs.

Thanks again chawk and hondadude. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share
your expertise.
brian__c
 
Brian,
Wow I too have twin Honda 225hp motors and still wonder about doing SB#56 to them. I haven't done them yet have had two different mechcanics tell me what a intense job it is to complete. Any suggestions that would of made it easier would love to hear about ? Also could you pm list of parts you ordered and cost of them ? I have the time to complete this project now but still not sure if I should do have seen some of same problems you stated just replaced o2 sensor on port motor last month...


thanks
Jamie


ps did you take pics ?
 
Jamie,
I ordered the parts from boats.net. There is a kit (04101-ZY3-000 PIPE KIT, EX. (Honda Code 8535734) that contains almost everything you need (exhaust pipes/gaskets and the oil pan gasket). The kit is $120.22 The only other part needed is the O-ring for the oil strainer (91324-PC6-000 O-RING (20.6X2.6) (Honda Code 1477983) - $1.76). While you have it apart, you probably want to take care of the water pump/impeller.
Chawk sent the service bulletin to me a few months ago. Send me a pm and I'll sent it along. The procedure is straight forward, but is time consuming. As others have indicated, I think the hardest part was removing/installing the lower unit. I only have 1 engine, so you're in for twice the fun.
Having another set of hands when removing/installing the lower unit would help. Also having a long handled socket wrench and a low-profile metric ratchet wrench is a big help for removing the bolts on the lower unit. One last obvious thing...since you need to remove/install 104 bolts/engine, having a cordless drill, socket adapter and flexible extention is a must.
I did take a few pics. If you search this forum you'll see pics others have taken. The exhaust pipes had some corosion and the oil pan gasket was darker/stained near the exhaust pipe.

Brian
 
Awesome thanks....... I have changed water pumps/impellar yearly so gear case should com eoff easly.. I even have made a rack to hold gear case in while changing water pump.... Thanks for imput I think I will tackle this next few months
 
It was one of the 11 hex bolts on the extention housing (step 17). Not sure why, but it looked like a few of the threads on the bolt were slightly out-of-spec. I also had trouble with one other hex bolt on the extention housing, but that one only took a couple of minutes to get free.
 
I looked at the dissasembly procedure in bulletin 56 and it looked very time consuming. I can't believe honda says it can be done in 2.5 hours.I'm hearing have some heat handy will make the job of getting those bolts out a little easier.
 
A 24 hour soak in PB Blaster will do wonders for loosening rusted/corroded bolts. Spray around the bolt head, lightly tap, tap, tap. Repeat several times over several hours. Let sit. Then try to remove the bolts.
 
P1080105.jpgP1080111.jpgP1080115.jpgP1080113.jpgP1080100.jpgP1080104.jpgOkay just performed service Bullentin #56 on both motors, I diffently needed to, one set pipes were cracked.
heres some things I ran in to:
1. Getting lower unit off with shaft on one was stuck either from dryed up grease or bad vertical bushing bearing for shaft. BOTH motors these were decenigraded gone, should of replaced but never knew untill a few weeks back. VERY Important to check ended up braking extension case due to fail.
2. The same exact hex bolt on both extension cases was frozen out of the 11 bolts it was only the very back bolt that was frozen used a little heat and came loose easily.
3. I am going to order High pressure fuel filter and replace that since cowlings our already off easier to get to filter
4. Of course changing water pumps as well
posted some pics as well
 
Okay service bull #56 on a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate a 6or7 in reguards to difficulty one thing that heped was a step by step intruction pdf that Brian seen me who chawk sent him if anyone ever needs it I save it on my pc... It helps to have a extra person to help with gear cases, and air tools also make things much better.
I went ahead and ordered all new mid cowling for both engines, one mid extension case which came with a
(vertical bushing bearing kit), so now I have extra next time :), had friend come over paint top cowlings,other extension case and both lower units today installing all Sunday will add pics of completed job.. but heres pics from today

On a side note when I recieved New mid case extension it came with new seal for cowing,vertical bushing bearing, New water tube, and a new water pump kit :).
"BUT One thing that I had to take out of bad one was the one stud that hides under trim tab plate on gear case at first it stumped me how I would remove stud then after spraying some pb blaster I used original nut with , other original nut from other gear case using them as oposing nuts to enable stud to turn loose IT work :) no where did it show this so rememeber if you order case to get studs out of old one!!" Pic of stud in old case below, new case vertical bushing bearing when in smooth on old mid section I had trouble and rubber surrounds bushing expanded a little but when ahead and put wash and c-clip on hoping it won't affect busing ?

this forum is AWESOME thanks to all for help rock robin,dockmarine services/Chris,chawk,Brian c heck all who commented !!!! You'll make this a heck of a useful forum !!!!!!!!!!!!

Jamie
 

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almost there stopped to watch the football game one cowling left and props
 

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Okay here's the finished product, was never so glad to put oil in the motors because that met I was at the end of this project(I tilted engine all the way up to take filter off made changing filter super easy no mess at all)... I used lithum grease on prop shafts, polished props using mothers polish and steel wool to get rust spots, and a buffing bonnet. WATER TESTED it she ran AWESOME water pumps strong,shifting in and out of gear good... The middle gowling gave me trouble didn't want to fit together well but finally got them to match up. One big thing that made life great was Air tools :) !!!!!!!The copy of service bullentin #56 made it easy to had step by step directions with pictures :)

thanks again
 

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Jamie - Looks great. One issue. Would not use lithium grease on props - it will wash out too quickly. Use regular old marine-grade bearing grease - the blue stuff.
 
Jamie - Looks great. One issue. Would not use lithium grease on props - it will wash out too quickly. Use regular old marine-grade bearing grease - the blue stuff.

Roger that, thanks for tip will do

now off to seastar steering ram bad seal just happened to have a extra Ram replacing tommorrow and then friend is bring power purger for bleeding air then all I want to do is use this boat again
 
I was reading another thread on the SB56 repair and how a technician found a spring in the oil pan and it jogged my memory. When I did this repair a few months ago, I found a small piece of metal, (3/4” x 1/8”) in the oil pan. In the other thread, after tearing down the powerhead, it was determined that a rocker arm assembly had corroded and needed replacement.

Any ideas where this piece of metal came from? Recommendations?
 
Was the piece of metal jagged in one end, like it had broken off of something? In my opinion (as simply an owner - not a technician) there are a few possibilities:

1. Left over from manufacturing. This is not far-fetched. Early on, I had to have a new block installed because something went wrong in the manufacturing process and metal scraps from the machining process were not cleaned out of the engine.
2. Possibly a piece from the rocker arms, cam or cam bearings, drive shaft bearings, or any place else where the oil flows. This piece would likely be jagged on one edge. Not sure there is much you can do about that without tearing down the engine on a wild goose hunt.
3. Lip piece from the oil pan. It would be jagged on one edge. If it is not leaking, I wouldn't worry about it.
4. Lip piece from the oil strainer. Again - jagged on at lease one edge.

Bottom line - it would be very difficult to find its origins without a complete tear down, and even that is problematic.
 
I didn't save the piece, but from what I remember, it was jagged on one of the smaller edges. I think that any of the possibilities listed above could be the cause.

Thanks again for your insight, as usual, it is greatly appreciated. I'll guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on it. I’m not ready to tear it apart at this point.
 
Brian,
Both motors of mine had in the oil pan some piece of metal also..

Heres a blurred pic of it next to a quarter .. Brian is this what you found also ?
I wasn't sure what it was either but motors show now effect from it
 

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Yes, those pieces looks very much like what I found.

Glad to hear this is not unique to my engine and that you've seen no bad side affects.
 
Out of interest....

How does the water get up into the exhaust?

i have just bought a 10 year old boat with a 2002 225 fitted and have read all the threads about this issue. At the moment the exhaust outlets on the back of my engine are a few inches above the waterline but perhaps not as far up as I would like especially if the boat is heavily loaded when they are only just above the waterline at rest.

Looking at the picture from the service manual it appears as though the exhausts just hang down into the case. They don't join up with the two exhaust outlets in any way. So I am assming that the issue is that they will hang down just above where the outles come in meaning if the engine is too low and water sloshes into the exuast outlets at just the wrong time it could get sucked up into the exhausts. I can certainly see how this may be an issue...:mad: I am assuming that looking from the back of the engine the pipes end a few inches above the outlets?

So how do the ones from the #56 upgrade differ?

Thanks Guys

Chris
 

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Chris - I just sent SB #56 to you. The exhaust ports must be at least 5.9 inches above the water line. So it sounds like you might need to raise the engine. The anti-cavitation plate should be riding just on top of the water at WOT. So that gives you the range you can work with. The typical rule of thumb is to initially set up the engine so that the anticavitation plate is one inch above the keel at bottom of the transom for every one foot the engine sits back from the bottom of the transom. If the engine is mounted directly on the transom, then the anticavitation plate should be even with the lowest part of the keel at the transom.
 
Hi and yes thank for the bulletin, I just mailed you.

At the moment the exhaust ports are not 5.9" probably about 3". I am planning to raise the engine up a bit (1.5") as the anti cavitation plate is only visible riding on the water when trimmed out. When trimmed in it goes back under water a bit. I am not getting any prop ventilation even when fully trimmed out so am assuming that I can lift the engine to get a bit more performance and get those ports as high as possible !! However I wont be able to raise it much more as the plate is already about an 1" above the bottom of the transom so this will take it to 2.5".
 
Well - that is still going to be too low. What kind of boat do you have and how is the engine mounted? A solution may be to add a motor extension or a jack plate.
 
So how do the ones from the #56 upgrade differ?
Chris

They are not all that much different. According to SB56, "the exhaust pipes have larger relief holes. The larger machined mounting surface and reinforcing ribs improve the strengh"

I think the best way to see the difference is to look at one of the picture above in this thread. If you click on the picture in my 1/5/2012 post, you should get a good idea (with the enlarged photo) of the differences.
 
I have a 2003 bf225 with 860hrs. Not sure if SB#56 has been done or not. The motor is mounted on a Proline 25 sport on a bracket. The motor sits pretty low and is already mounted on the highest setting.

Is my exhaust at the right height above the water?...Here is a picture and video of my boat when at rest(waterline)






Here's a video I took as well....

[video=vimeo;39991796]http://vimeo.com/39991796[/video]



Also on another note, while running and coming off plane or slowing down, water does tend to roll up to the cowling, and I'm sure the exhaust ports may be covered or splashed breifly. I think that could be bad....?

...or am I just paranoid...?


motor runs well, for now, no known issues.



thanks
 
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