1980 Johnson Seahorse 7.5hp bottom end removal

Hi all,

I have a 1980 Johnson 7.5hp Seahorse, model number J8RLCSS. It is the long shaft version. Today I must have watched about fifty different Youtube videos of people removing the bottom end of Johnson outboards with a view to overhauling the water pump, but none of them seemed to be the same as mine. I have removed the two screws which reach up from above the prop and attach the gear housing to the extension housing, and also the long screw which reaches down through the extension housing and into the gear casing at the front. This allows the gear casing to come loose and gives me a gap of about 8mm through which I can see the gearcase cover. However there does not appear to be any means of disconnecting the shifter-shaft and the gear casing does not want to come free. I have tried rotating the engine while pulling and exerting as much force as I dare but with no joy. The parts book isn't very clear as to what might be preventing the gear casing from coming free or how to go about disconnecting he shifter-shaft. Does it disconnect at the top somewhere and then pull through with the drive shaft?

Please can someone help me as it is driving me crazy!

Thanks in advance,

Mosin

There is nothing to disconnect on the shift rod.----It just pulls down.----Simple it is.

I should perhaps have said that rather than move up and down, the shifter shaft on my engine actually rotates.

My advice is very clear.----With the 3 bolts loose the lower unit pulls down.----There is no shift rod disconnect on this motor !!!

racerone said:

My advice is very clear.----With the 3 bolts loose the lower unit pulls down.----There is no shift rod disconnect on this motor !!!

Click to expand...

OK thanks. Perhaps I just wasn't exerting sufficient force. I didn't want to risk damaging anything. I suppose it must just be seized somewhere. I will have a go at prying it with a bar now that I know it should come free. Thanks for the help.

I had another go today, and sure enough, the gear came free with a bit of extra force applied by a couple of motorcycle tyre levers. However I was surprised to see that the drive shaft remained in place rather than coming free with the gear unit. Should this happen? I tried giving it a tug and rotating the crank but it appears to be very firmly seated. Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks.

Somebody forgot to grease the splines and or forgot to install the o-ring to keep water out.-----Obviously has not been apart for awhile.-----Happens all the time.----Drive shafd should not stay up there !

I guessed that that was most probably the problem. So far I have tried turning the whole thing upside down and spraying WD40 onto the shaft so that it runs down to the splines. I have also tried locking the drive shaft in a pair of mole grips, lifting the whole engine up by them and tapping the bottom of the leg with a mash hammer. Neither attempt has had any success at all. How have other people managed when faced with this predicament?