Lower unit shifted on reinstall

" Reinstalled after impellar r

" Reinstalled after impellar replacement. No clue as to why. Shifted about 1/16th inch left. Any opinions?

83 Evinrude 50hp.

Thanks,

Jason "

" Jason,

If you mean there

" Jason,

If you mean there is a 1/16 overhang where the lower unit meets up with the exhaust housing, and it bothers you, try loosening up the fasteners a bit and just put it straight.. there is no seal there anyway though, as long as the metal tubing that goes from the water pump housing to the powerhead is properly fitted, all is well.

Jon "

" I think I am going to pull i

" I think I am going to pull it just in case that metal tubing is caught in there somehow and not fitted just right. There is a slight spongy feeling the last 1/2 to 1 inch before mating surfaces touch. Might be that seal. Crap.

Thanks for the input, though. It is much appreciated.

Jason "

" Well, pulled it again. Ugh!

" Well, pulled it again. Ugh! What a pain! But got it done. Same issue on reinstall . . . a little less, but only from pulling it over while tightening.
I don't get it. The other side is perfectly flush. I didn't notice if it was that way when I took it off the first time.
Any other idea's?

Thanks,

Jason "

" Does it pump like it's s

" Does it pump like it's supposed to? Maybe it's not a problem if it pumps and cools itself properly. If it were me, I would surely at least try it. "

I am putting it in a water fi

I am putting it in a water filled trash can soon. I'll check the cooling out then.

Thanks!

Jason

"Jason.... I just caught the t

"Jason.... I just caught the tail end of this thread. What engine are you speaking of (Make, Year, Hp)?

Joe (30+ Years With OMC)"

" Joe, it is a 83 Evinrude 50

" Joe, it is a 83 Evinrude 50 hp.

There is another issue now, in addition. In my brilliance, I didn't put it in reverse before pulling the lower unit. So, realized after reinstall and then the gears were all messed up. Pulled it back off, correctly, this time. Pushed the shift shaft down, reinstalled, worked great. Neutral was where it was supposed to be. BUT on checking that (spinning the prop manually) I heard a clicking noise coming from the lower unit! ! ! ! Please let me know if I screwed the pooch on this one. Thanks,

Jason "

"Jason... Having the shift rod

"Jason... Having the shift rod up, down, or in neutral when removing the lower unit has no bearing on the shifting aspect of the lower unit. Having the rod in reverse simply makes it easier to obtain access to the top of the shift rod.

However, if you turned that rod..... that would absolutely affect the shifting as the height measurement is critical.

I don't have the actual measurement for the 1983 model, but the following measurement of the 1981 and 1985 unit may be the right one for you. I'll list what I have but I'd suggest that you check with your local dealership to make sure the measurement is right. The measurement is to be from the upper surface of the lower unit casing to the center of the shift rod hole, with the unit in neutral and the rod offset to the rear.

1981 - 50, 55hp Manual Start:
(Short shaft) 16-23/32 - (Long shaft) 21-23/32" plus/minus 1/32" Have the shift rod in neutral and the offset to the rear

1985 - 40, 50, 60hp = (Short shaft) 15-29/32"
(Long shaft) 20-29/32" plus/minus 1/32" Have the shift rod in neutral and offset to the rear.

As you can see, there is about a inch difference in the measurements above, pertaining to the different years. I would think that your engine would line up with one or the other. Let me know.

When installing the lower unit, have the shift control in forward so that nothing is in the way of the shift rod when you're pushing it upwards.

There is no reason that there would be a gap on either side (crooked lower unit) of the lower unit when it's being installed. It should slide up easy and even.

Joe "

" Joe, you are the man!
I am

" Joe, you are the man!
I am very impressed with your wealth of knowledge concerning OMC.

BUT, please, please, please tell me that I don't have to pull that blankety-blank lower unit off AGAIN ! ! ! I just got everything put back together . . . sniffle . . .

Here is what I've got . . .

The unit is back on and in neutral. The prop spins freely, when spun manually. I'm pretty sure that is neutral. The throttle lever/shifter (up where the driver sits) is in the neutral position also.

I do not know whether it is offset to the front or to the rear. Is that going to cause major problems? If so, I'll gladly pull it and make sure it is set properly. I don't want to break my motor due to laziness.

Thank you very much for your help. This is my first boat and I'm a little nervous about it. Excited to get it on the water, too.

It had been sitting out in the weather for 4 years, so I have a little cleaning up to do.
Please let me know if there is anything else you think I should do.
So far, I have:
-cleaned the carbs and gas tank
-installed new champion s/plugs
-checked the plug wires
-checked the fuel screen
-installed a new impellar and housing
-changed the oil
-checked the compression (155/160- is that OK or too high?)
-sprayed some WD40 in the plug holes(didn't want to move the pistions on dry walls) & manually turned it (clockwise)
-trying to figure out the guages now.
-going to run Seafoam through it soon as I get it fired up

Sorry this is so long, things just kept coming to me. Your reputation precedes you, so your opinion is valuable to me. Let me know what you think, please.
And if your ever in this neck of the woods, let me know and I'll take ya fishin' on my little bass tracker.

Thanks, again.

Jason Coambes "

"Jason... The compression is n

"Jason... The compression is normal for that engine. You must have installed the shift rod with the offset to the rear which is where it belongs, otherwise you would never have been able connect the upper end of the shift rod. I looked
your "Have Done" list over.... Sounds like you've got it pretty well under control.

Joe"