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Honda service & repair - Tampa area. Also, mid shaft bushing question

J

John W

New member
Hello. I have a 2002 Honda 225 which i have owned for a couple of years now. I have used a couple of Pinellas dealers for service with mixed results. I would appreciate any recommendations on a Honda mechanic that knows what they're doing, is relatively convenient, and not outrageously priced.

This is for annual service, but also for replacement of the mid shaft bushing and exhaust anodes....this motor has been serviced annually since new at various Honda dealers in Florida, but i see nowhere in any repair invoices that the mid shaft bearing has ever been serviced or replaced. I removed the lower cowlings, and i see slight cracking on one side of the area where the bushing would be. It looks much better than some of the ugly pic's i've seen online...i'm hoping the bushing can be replaced without a gigantic repair bill. Wishful thinking?

Thanks for any & all opinions.
 
Picked this up off the Internet a few years ago.You can do this yourself if you have the right tools...

Honda Mid-shaft bearing

Very Good video on the procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZaDzNck1I

Part Numbers
• Bushing = 40210-ZY3-610 – (Vertical shaft bearing)
• C ring = 9052-ZY3-000
• Flat washer = 9053-ZY3-610
• You’ll also need a pair of snap ring pliers.

Removal
Put engine in forward gear.
Remove the lower unit as if you are going to change the impeller on the water pump. Don’t forget the bolt under the trim tab.
Look up inside where you pulled out the drive shaft. There you will see the bushing held in place by a C clip, riding on a metal flat washer. Remove the C clip. Pull out the bushing.
The outside of the bushing is rubber with a metal bushing inside. That metal bushing rides on a raised section of the drive shaft.
To get the bushing out use a pilot bearing puller - Autozone part 27128 loaner tool
Clean out any corrosion and grease the bushing inside and outside liberally with marine grease. A two inch wide wire brush on a drill extension works well.

Installation
The cut-outs in the bushing go up toward the motor.
 
Sara Bay. Before I purchased my boat, the previous owner brought it there. They changed all filters, T'stats, water pumps, plugs, oil change, pulled 1 power head to replace seal bottom seals, replaced 1 power head and exhausts due to corrosion. The engines have been running strong for over a year now with no issues.

i just looked at the bill and you may want to be seated when you get an estimate from them. It appears their labor is about $110/hour. I assume the mid-shaft bearing is a 4-5 hour job?

there is also a couple good guys here in Orlando I've used for lower unit rebuild. Impressed with their quality too.
 
I live in Tampa. I decided to become a shadetree Honda mechanic after seeing the way work was done to my engine. I can tell you DO NOT take it to Amazing Marine. Beyond that, I have discovered there is nothing that difficult to do to these motors. The exhaust anodes take me about an hour to do. Takes me longer to sit at the computer and order the parts I need. I always replace the t stats, hoses and clamps at the same time just because it is all being touched at the time and the parts are cheap enough. I have not done a mid shaft bearing, mainly because mine is a BF 200 with a 20" shaft.

I have done a complete shortblock replacement on my motor. Had it torn down to nothing but the midplate on my boat. It all goes back together easy. Now that I do it myself, I put anti-sieze on everything and properly lube and torque everything. Anytime I need to change something, it comes apart with no problem.
 
Thanks for the responses. I appreciate the suggestions on DIY, maybe someday. But at this point I don't have the tools, confidence or (especially) the time to tackle this. I was hoping to find a Honda mechanic closer, or better yet, a mobile guy. I've used Northeast Marine in St Pete, was hoping to avoid trailering so far to then pay $100/hour. Any other suggestions appreciated.
 
Yeah, time is the tough part. In the Fall I plan to have a work/toy shop built on some land up in Wesley Chapel. Would have room to help you out, but right now it just is not in the cards for me.

I am not aware of any mobile Honda techs. I suspect that any trained marine mechanic could do the work, but not cheap. Good luck. If you change your mind about the DIY, I could probably be convinced to help for a sandwich and a soft drink. I like working on machines. The Honda motors are very easy.
 
John W said:
Hello. I have a 2002 Honda 225 which i have owned for a couple of years now. I have used a couple of Pinellas dealers for service with mixed results. I would appreciate any recommendations on a Honda mechanic that knows what they're doing, is relatively convenient, and not outrageously priced.

This is for annual service, but also for replacement of the mid shaft bushing and exhaust anodes....this motor has been serviced annually since new at various Honda dealers in Florida, but i see nowhere in any repair invoices that the mid shaft bearing has ever been serviced or replaced. I removed the lower cowlings, and i see slight cracking on one side of the area where the bushing would be. It looks much better than some of the ugly pic's i've seen online...i'm hoping the bushing can be replaced without a gigantic repair bill. Wishful thinking?

Thanks for any & all opinions.
Click to expand...

Update: I took the boat to Northeast Marine, a long time Honda dealer in south St Petersburg. The crack in the midsection where the bushing goes was worse than i thought. Curtis the owner said cracks & missing sections from corrosion at the mid shaft bearing can allow water to get up all the way to the powerhead in rare cases, destroying the engine. So i decided to have the midsection, and the bushing replaced. Cost was @ $900 including doing the water pump and lower unit lube, which was less than what i expected.

The surprising part: when they inspected where the bushing should be, they discovered it was missing entirely. A prior owner must have had it removed, who knows how long ago, and the motor has run fine without the bushing in place. I had a new bushing installed in the new midsection, but i'm second guessing whether replacing the bushing was really necessary. It's a $30 part, but given that it can cause midsection corrosion i wonder if i would be just as well off without it. But it's replaced for now, and i plan to have it inspected or replaced when i do the water pump going forward.

I asked about the internal aluminum anodes in the exhaust system...he could not remember the # of hours when this should be replaced, he thought 800 or so hours? I'm at 738 hours and wasn't paying for that this year in any case...maybe at next year's service.

Compression looked good, all cylinders 200-210 psi. Now i need to get out there & use it. Thanks for all of the advice here.
 
Update: I took the boat to Northeast Marine in St Petersburg. The crack in my midsection was worse than I thought. Curtis the owner said in rare cases water can come up to the power head from cracks & damage at the bushing in the motor, and potentially ruin the engine. I replaced the midsection of the motor and the bushing; cost was @$900 including water pump & lower unit fluid.

what was interesting: when he opened up the motor, there was no bushing in the midsection at all! At some point the prior owner of the boat must have had it removed & not replaced. Who knows how long the motor has run, without any problems at all, without the bushing in place.

I'm second guessing my decision to replace the bushing, since it can be the source of corrosion in the midsection. But it's done at this point. I plan to have the bushing inspected and/or replaced when water pump is serviced. I ran the boat today & there was no difference in how the boat runs (same WOT RPM) with the bushing in place.

i asked him about the aluminum anodes in he exhaust, he couldn't remember the hours when they are supposed to be replaced, he thought 800 or so hours & I forgot to ask him to check. That will have to wait till next year.

thanks for all the help here.
 
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