1982 35hp Johnson Power Head Removal

" Hi guys,
I am disassem

" Hi guys,
I am disassembling a 1982 35hp Johnson in order to fix a jammed and broken shift linkage under the power head in the lower section where the drive shaft is. The gasketed connection there is solid and there is little space/leverage available.Does anyone have any tips to separate the connection between the power head and the lower section? Is the drive shaft holding things together since all 8 bolts have been removed. Thanks a lot............ "

Could be that the drive shaft

Could be that the drive shaft is rusted into the crankshaft. Lack of maintenance to the water pump and driveshaft splines is the reason.You may need an atomic bomb to seperate the powerhead.

Kenny..... Removing the lower

Kenny..... Removing the lower unit will either confirm or eliminate the possibility of a frozen drive shaft.

Joe (30+ Years With OMC)

" Thanks Sparky and Joe,

" Thanks Sparky and Joe,

Do either of you have any good atomic bomb sources? Would nuclear be better? Have a good evening. ...........Kenny "

" I have found a trick to remo

" I have found a trick to removing stubborn powerhead that doesn't involve leveraging or prying - which often results in broken castings.

Rather, I let gravity work for me. Lay a heavy, doubled over blanket on the floor (clear it with your wife first). Make sure there's enough area covered so the motor can lay entirely on the blanket. Also, make sure the motor is laying on the NON-GEARSHIFT side, as those handles can break easily.

Next, l lift the powerhead end of the motor up a couple-few inches and drop it. It generally doesn't take much before the gentle shock of hitting the floor will break the old gasket loose.

It does help to MAKE SURE that ALL of the powerhead retaining bolts/studs/etc. are loosened up enough to allow the powerhead to come free.

Obviously, this will work best with relatively small motors - l wouldn't recommend it with anything over 150 lbs. The belly pans of most motors aren't made to support the entire motor, plus added pounding, so follow this method at your own risk. Also probably not a good idea if you've got a bad back, etc.

- Scott "