Logo
FULL SITE MENU

1999 johnson 25hp model J25PL3EEM lower unit

M

mattca

New member
About to drop lower unit 25hp J25PL3EEM. Don't see how to disconnect shift rod. Looks as if rod is inside a housing (I'll add photos later).

If any of yall know the trick, please share with a newbie boat owner.

Thanks.
 
Once you get the Nuts apart you will need to remove the plastic keeper holding the nut on. You may also need to scrape the paint off the upper shift rod to slide the nut up far enough. That will help remove the keeper
 
I drained the gear case oil and while the oil was dark & thick, there was no water in the oil. Does that mean that there's no seal leak? The previous owner thought seals were leaking. I was going to change the seals, but if there's no leak I'm gonna change the oil and go put it in the bayou.
 
racerone said:
Agreed with the above.----Don't lose the keeper.
Click to expand...
And don't break it in half!

When putting these back together I like to take an old keeper and file it smooth so it goes through the water pump without tearing the o-ring.

Also don't forget to put the nut back on before tightening all the lower unit bolts otherwise you get to take them all out to slide the lower unit far enough down to put the nut on.
 
Changed seals and re-mounted lower unit. Took you advice to connect shift linkage before making up bolts.

Problem now is it's stuck in reverse. Won't shift out of gear. Shift rod is going up & down.

Thanks again for the great advice & insights!
 
Is the bottom half of the shift rod going up and down? Like the part that goes into the lower unit itself. You may have misinstalled the stupid little plastic bushing thing that holds the two parts of the rod together
 
If it was working before and isn't working now something isn't together correctly. Either the nut isn't tightened down all the way, the plastic bushing is in wrong or not seated correctly, etc.

Try putting it in forward then taking a screwdriver and very carefully pushing up on the shift collar to see if it'll go into neutral and forward. Maybe one from each side to avoid putting side torque on the shift rod; they're not super delicate, but they're also easy to bend. There may still be play in the linkage.
 
I'm sure who ever runs this site will not be pleased with me for saying it but you all a FUCKING awesome!

Yes, I backed out the shift rod while I was messing with it. Made it up and we're runnin now!

Again, I offer my gratitude and would like to also wish a happy and safe holiday season!
 
Back
Top