bearings and seal replacement Johnson RL2576

Hi folk,
in hope that members can assist with replacement of seals and bearings in my 1976 25 HP manual start Johnson (RL2576).

For its age, the motor has done very little work - perhaps less than 2 hours/year overall.
It has always been flushed in a freshwater tank on return from a trip and overall is in brilliant condition.

However, last time I drained the gearcase oil, I found a few drops of water in it (yes, this old chestnut once again).

I removed the lower leg and extension and have purchased a replacement water pump kit - it came with a single lip drive shaft seal.
The orginal was a mongrel to get out - but I persevered and managed to get it out over a period of about an hour - without damaging the alloy housing.

Below this, is a needle bearing - which is clearly spent... it is rusted (sign of water leaking past drive shaft seal) and the needles are at a slight angle from vertical. I suspect that this bearing is to support the driveshaft against the load of the water pump impellor?

I have ordered in a pair of double lip seals which can be fitted into the housing on the driveshaft. There is very slight pitting on the driveshaft where the original seal ran... but there is wear on this shaft where it runs against the spent needle bearing.... I cannot get a replacement driveshaft (nor do I want to). I have rubbed out most of this pitting using wet and dry.. but there is a small amount embedded in the metal.... I do not mind replacing the gearcase oil after each trip (considering the motor is used perhaps once/fortnight in an "out and back" fishing trip).
I do not believe such a small amount of water in the volume of the oil will do immediate damage - but, if I can remedy the leak using pressure and vacuum testing - I will achieve my aim.

The propellor shaft bearing retainer seal is also suspect... I can get likewise replacement double lip seals to replace this.
The propellor shaft is also slightly pitted.. again, I have rubbed most of this out - it will wear the seal eventually - and I can easily get replacement seals...... removing and re-fitting them is my issue.

I have a replacement shifting shaft seal.

My questions are :-

1/ How do you remove the needle bearing and re-fit a replacement?

2/ How do you remove the prop shaft seal in the casing and re-fit a replacement?

3/ How do you remove the shift rod seal assembly (brass with fitted O ring) and re-fit the replacement.

I am also looking for a "spaghetti" seal - I do not seem to be able to find a listing for them here in Australia.

As stated, this engine is in amazing condition.... save for this eventual hardening and wearing of the lower leg seals.

very much appreciated for any information and suggestion.

Ross W Burgess
Melbourne, Australia

Keep an eye on craigslist for a good parts motor. Your issue is only gonna get worse. You may get lucky and find a motor not running with a good gearbox for cheap. This is the time of the year more motors get put on the market. If the upper bearings are shot you dont want them to destroy the gearset.

thanks kimcrwbr1 - I now have the bearings and seals.... my question more related to how to get the old ones out and fit new ones.... what tools etc., etc.....

I believe the driveshaft is 0.500" or 1/2"------So a piece of 1/2" threaded rod and a nut filed down / rounded off might work.

Thanks racerone.

I suppose, with your suggestion - I could either go with extracting the parts by using a plate and nut on the thread at the opposite end.. or by fitting some form of sliding weight on it and pounding it out slide hammer like.

I would soak the area for a couple of hours with penetrating lubricant... I like the "unscrew" method, the only issue I see with the bearing removal is crushing the cage or retainer.. it might then gouge the housing....

your thoughts?

Ross

A blind hole bearing puller may work for the upper roller bearing otherwise yes the flat bar and all thread method will do for the lower roller just be careful pulling the pinion you dont want to damage the thrust bearing and washer it depends how the gearbox is set up. You just need to be creative pushing them back in as well. Let me look at the parts diagram.

I only see one driveshaft bearing and a thrust washer for the pinion. Is there another roller bearing just above the brass bearing for the pinion?

Thanks again,
no - as far as I can tell, there is only the one needle roller bearing in the housing - mine is shot, needles are rusted out... undoubtedly due to the seal leaking water past from the water pump above.
The pinion runs in that sintered bronze bush - so too, does the prop shaft - in two similar bushes fore and aft at each end, there is a thrust washer inside a recess in the pinion, and both forward/reverse gears.

I am attempting to attach pix...













Update - I have removed the drive shaft bearing - advice to those reading this thread who want to do likewise with this motor - it's a mongrel of a job!
I bought a tool with expanding legs which was inserted from above and opened out... a threaded rod was then wound out to extract the bearing.
All it did was to break open the top of the bearing cage and push through the needles... and bend over the lower cage making it impossible to drive the remaining shell out. I had to use a Dremel with a small grinding stone to cut a slot in the shell.... it came out - but there was simply no way this bearing could have been extracted.

As for the shift-rod bush and seal - another mongrel of a job. There is precious little lip on the underside of this to gain purchase on - perhaps 1.5 mm around the circumfrence from below.

I cut a length of mild steel and turned it down progressively until it would fit inside the narrow opening below the bush.... again, for anyone with this motor - the "drift" needed is 14.45 mm.....
It was easy then to drive out the brass bush with inserted O ring.
If you want to do this, you will crush the end of the brass bush with the drift... not a lot, but enough that the shift rod will not pass through it.
It was only to a depth of around 1 mm that it was crushed... very careful use of a sharp hobby knife removed the offending restriction.
If you can find one - a thick O ring to match that removed will allow you to re-fit the brass bush. You cannot access the O ring without removing the bush - sadly.

I purchased a replacement bush and O ring many years back when I purchased the water pump kit which I am now installing.

I have yet to remove the propellor shaft seal... and will replace that with a double lip one. The propellor shaft bushes at both end, along with the pinion bush are unmarked....

I still do not know how I am to remove the seal in the propellor shaft bush assembly - the assembly is no longer available.. so, I will have to replace the seal... I am considering dressing the shaft slightly on the lathe to completely remove any pitting.... and fit slightly smaller seals to compensate...

Again, this motor is in excellent condition - for its life, it has done precious little work... and has been looked after with a passion.

One further question - the "spaghetti" seal - they are not available here in Oz..... I have not removed the original for fear that I may have to leave it in situ - and make some form of seal between the lower gearcase and the extension housing using some liquid sealant.... has anyone had to do this? and was it effective?

much appreciated (again).

Ross B

Can you screw a couple sheet metal screws in the flat part of the seal and pry out on the screws?

kimcrwbr1 said:

Can you screw a couple sheet metal screws in the flat part of the seal and pry out on the screws?

Click to expand...

That might be an option - my suspicion is that this steel seal cage will also be well and truly embedded into the alloy bush housing....

My current thought is along the line of placing the small bush housing in a pre-heated oven.... for a couple of a minutes for the alloy (not the sintered bronze bush) to heat up... the bronze bush may then come out easily with a few taps from the other end.

If I can get the bush out - I should then be able to drive out the seal cage..... if not, I can hack away at it as I had to do with the drive shaft bearing.

thanks for the suggestion - I will keep this thread alive (with pix) as I progress...

Ross B

Another trick is if a shaft has a groove cut in it from the old seal just dont press the new seal in all the way so it rides on a good part of the shaft surface.

Hi again,
yes - the seals I am ordering are double lipped - they will run on a smoother surface area than the OEM's.

Update - the pesky seal in the propeller shaft bush is now out..... it was a spring held single lip seal, but with quite a bit of a thick area making the seal.... maybe just worn down...
I soaked it in WD40 for a day, then broke out the neoprene and spring from within the holder... I was then able to get an expanding jaw under the inner face - it came out without much resistance - thank goodness, I did not have to remove the sintered bronze bush from the assembly.

Johnson/Evinrude do not show this as being a serviceable unit - the seal is easily obtained through bearing suppliers. I am fitting a double lip one to mine - packing it with OMD grease prior to assembly.

if I can, I hope to get a slightly undersize seal - I will then dress the propeller shaft in the lathe to take out all pitting.... the seal will live a lot longer bedding in on freshly polished metal....

Ross B