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Anyone experienced with Honda Bf50A lower unit?

A

Amizzi

New member
Hi everyone,

New to the forum and looking for some help with my Honda outboard.
Local dealers have been no help unfortunately so im trying to reach out to anyone that could potentially help.

I purchased a non-functioning 1995 BF50 recently.
When I removed the cowl I noticed that the power head was in near perfect condition and looked brand new .

ON MOTOR
Model- BF50A
Serial- BAZS-1000008


After inspection I found that there was an issue with the bottom end and most likely the foward gear is stripped (lots of shaving on plug).

Anyway , there seems to be some sort of confusion with the serial # stamped on the side of the unit. No one has been able to successfully find it and shows that its not a valid #.....

I found a lower unit for what I believe is the same unit however its labeled as unavailable and in brackets (Senior Blue)?????

Basically my question at this point is :
1) Can I purchase the gears and other components separately as I could only find a part # for a complete bottom end.

2) Will any other lower units from other years and models fit this model???
For that year lower units are available for BF30,40,60 etc etc but for whatever reason the 50 lower unit is discontinued....

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Adrian
 
All the BF50 lower units are interchangeable but not the internals. The bearing carriers changed from the ring but retainer to the two bolt flange type. The cases were also improved and made with a thicker more robust anti ventilation plate. So all you need to do is find a lower unit for a 40/60 with the correct length shaft
 
I think you'll find that the Merc type lower units (removable plastic water intake screen/strainers) are all interchangable. They're on all of the pre fuel injected engines from '06-'07 or so on back, used on any of the 35-50 horse Honda's. The only difference I know of is on the shift shaft seal. Older use a bellows arrangement and the newer an o-ring. From a functional standpoint they're still interchangeable.

Motors pretty much the same way. For all practical purposes, the 1999-2000 use the same parts as the earlier ones. Only exception I know of being the idle mixture adjustment screws. The later ones are the tamper proof style that limit the available adjustment to 1/4 turn. Older ones don't have that "feature" and can be used to replace the newer style - when you can find them.

Point being, year and serial are pretty much irrelevant.

Oh, if going the used lower unit route, know that these things commonly crack due to corrosion build up between the bearing carrier and the lower housing. As it really doesn't affect the lower unit's ability to hold oil in and water out, welding this big crack is done frequently - without taking care of the corrosion issue. This is basically kicking the can down the road. It's a big issue in salt water areas, maybe not so much in fresh water. You want to have a look in the area of the bearing carrier for heavy corrosion, or evidence of the lower unit being welded to determine the value of the lower unit.....
 
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Thanks everybody for the info, I really appreciate it .
I managed to take apart the lower end, only difficulty I had was the removal of the bearing carrier nut . I made my own tool and with a little heat got it out.

Turns out the forward gear bearing took a crap and was the reason why this outboard had sat.
I got a little more info on the history also which is interesting. The outboard was purchased in 1996 and for whatever reason the bearing let go. The original owner died shortly after the breakdown and the outboard was placed in a storage container by the son where it sat since 1997...... someone had wrote 07/97 on the oil filter .

Many years later this outboard surfaced where I managed to swipe it. My transoms 19.5" and I needed a long shaft motor instead however I couldn't turn it down for $300.
 
Nice project!

I would be a LITTLE concerned the reason the the bearing failure might have been lack of lube. I'd be inspecting that one pretty carefully, maybe installing a full set of seals as a precaution. Not that difficult, or expensive when you already have it apart.

I have the Honda (Mercury) wrench for that nut. Trust me, there's no guarantee that wrench is going to break that nut free! I usually drill them to weaken, then knock a 1/2" section of them out. That WILL free them! Just clean the threads up carefully. I use a 2" wire brush chucked in a drill. Wad a rag in on the other side to keep crud from contaminating that area!
 
Alan Hicks said:
Nice project!

I would be a LITTLE concerned the reason the the bearing failure might have been lack of lube. I'd be inspecting that one pretty carefully, maybe installing a full set of seals as a precaution. Not that difficult, or expensive when you already have it apart.

I have the Honda (Mercury) wrench for that nut. Trust me, there's no guarantee that wrench is going to break that nut free! I usually drill them to weaken, then knock a 1/2" section of them out. That WILL free them! Just clean the threads up carefully. I use a 2" wire brush chucked in a drill. Wad a rag in on the other side to keep crud from contaminating that area!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, luckily I managed to get it apart and I rebuilt / re-sealed the lower unit.
 
My other question is does anyone have any experience at all converting a short shaft outboard to a long shaft , specifically a Honda?

I found someone selling a long shaft Honda 50hp with a blown up power head .
Was thinking about purchasing it and installing my power head on it.

Just wondering if its worth my while or if I'm better off just selling the short shaft and looking for something else. I would prefer to keep mine if its feasible as its in prestine condition.

Thanks for any advice.
 
You're pretty sure you have a short shaft (15")?

Not saying there's no such thing. Only that I've never seen one!

Power head swap not for the timid, or anyone in a hurry. There's a lot to that.
 
Ya its pretty odd , I haven't seen one before until now myself.
Might be a reason why the dealers cannot find this particular outboard by serial # in their database. Thinking its a rarity and there might have been a limited batch of these made
When I measure from the top of the water pump housing to the end of the shaft I've got 15.25".

I'm a mechanic by trade however have very little experience with outboards.
Unfortunately no one makes an extension kit for Honda's that I could find.
Sounds like this will be a winter project indeed.
 
Honda have always and still do offer a short shaft, even on their EFI models. They offer a 5 inch extension housing which I am sure you can use with both the short and long, even though the short motor has a different extension case to the long which is made into an extra long by the use of the 5 inch spacer. You would probably have to purchase the 5 inch spacer with related hardware as well as the drive shaft, shift shat and water tube, unless you have someone who can lengthen them all.
 
So I'm thinking about this, converting a 15" to a 20", I don't think we're talking about a power head swap. I think we're talking just the lower unit, no?

That's no big deal. No worse than changing a water pump....

And I think rather than mess with whatever is involved going with an extension, my focus would be on coming up with a lower unit that's never been in salt water. Won't be cheap, but it'll be water under the bridge....

Bonus would be what a nice 15" lower unit might be worth to somebody looking for one.
 
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