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1986 25 hp XD seal replacement help?

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Greenthumbsaz

New member
I have a seal kit ready to go on this l/u but I am stumped on to get the seal around the drive shaft out? It is the top seal just under the water pump plate?

I have been looking for a service manual for a while now, without any luck.

I have been reading this forum for years, but finally joined. Thanks to all of the fantastic posts out there, you all have saved my boat and motors from many a rookie mistakes.
 
There are back to back seals you may need to disassemble the gearbox completely to pull the driveshaft. You may be able to just screw some long sheet metal screws into the seals close to the edge and grab the screw with a vice grip and tap the seals out. Are you sure the seals are leaking? Do a pressure test by draining all the oil out and pump no more than 8lbs pressure in and soap test the seals and shift shaft as you turn the driveshaft and shift gears?
 
Yes, the "suggested method" to remove those seals is to pull the drive shaft - maybe not something you want to undertake as the pinion gear must be torqued back on to spec or you can end up messing up your gears (and that does require a special tool or two to accomplish that).

You can probably pick out those two seals with drive shaft in place, just be careful that you don't mess up the (walls/race - whatever you want to call it) that those seal fit down into - a deep scratch or dent in there will allow oil to escape or water to get in.

I have reseated them with the drive shaft in place. It's easy enough to work the seal(s) down the shaft and then I put a socket over the drive shaft (shaft goes up through the hole where the ratchet handle would connect, so you aren't going to get away with a 1/4" or 3/8" socket, you need a big boy :) ) the socket does need to fit down in the race and just be (fat enough) to catch the lips of the seals - then run a piece of pipe over the drive shaft, longer than the shaft itself and tap the pipe with a mallet against the socket to seat the seal(s) - with a bit of care that's as good as it gets for the "driveway mechanic".

If you drop me an email ([email protected]) I will send you a pdf on the lower unit assembly/disassembly/repair - just make the subject line something obvious.
 
Thankyou, I did the pressure test and everything holds fine. The problem is the spring on the seal broke and the seal is chewed up pretty bad. I was hoping there was a way to pull them out without taking the prop a and gears out. (Never done that before) I will try to pick them out with some kind of pulling device.
 
Sounds like your committed to replace the seals. I use 2 inch zip screws and just screw through the flat spots on the seals close to the edge as said careful not to damage the seat in the housing. The seals are back to back so it is possible the top seal will press out a little before the screw taps into the lower seal. Anyways set the screws in a couple threads in three spots and use a pair of water pumps or vice grips to grab the screw and tap out a little then go to another screw and just keep working them out. Just be prepared you may need to pull pinion/driveshaft in order to get the seals with a blind hole bearing puller.
 
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