Honda Propshaft Seals

[lumpfisher]

Had some fishing line caught in my prop and noticed oil leaking from the prop after a few days. Is replacing the seals a DIY job? I have the service manual but am not 100% sure about doing this.

[ABoater]

Do you have a pressure tester? How about a vacuum tester?

Are you still under warranty?

I'd pay a professional to do the job, but hey, that's just me...

[lumpfisher]

I took the lower units off today and brought them in.

[conehead39]

Good move..Let the pros do that.
If it is the CCW port/left engine it may need a gear puller.

The new braided line is a real bitch on prop shaft seals.
Pull the props off often. Get you some hemastats that doctors use in surgery.

Look very closely at the seal,there is a garder spring that creates seal tension on the seal.
sometimes it will be broken. Sometimes that small diameter very strong braided line breaks it.
Sometimes it goes thru the outer seal and gets into the stacked inner seal(generally same PN)
ie has two seals.

Probably the number one cause of lower unit failure, oil leaks out and or water leaks in.

So all you single engine boaters that go 20 or miles out in the ocean ,you are sticking your neck out.You never know when you have collected that crap.

Generally When you run out of lower unit oil it seizes...... the engine will not run.It stops, starter won't turn it over,,,you may think the engine has seized. Ever try removing a lower unit >20 miles out in 3-5 foot waves.Tie a rope around the prop if you want the LU.

[conehead39]

I Failed to mention,if your lower unit seizes then you are now down to battery power.
Make the appropiate radio distress call. Where the hell are those flares??

If you do take off the lower unit in the ocean and the very noisy exhaust engine cranks it will not be cooled.Water pump is on the LU. Maybe you can Jerry Rig a bilge /aerator pump so the engine will run at idle ,thus charging the battery. Anyone for multiple heavy duty batteries.

Yep, I have seen 2 Lower units seize in the last year at one marina in the upper keys.
They were twin OB engine charter boats.Came home SE.

Yamaha and I believe Honda have a nice SS thrust washer in front of the prop. It has a grooved circular channel that helps with keeping fishing line out of the prop seals.

Wish they would put sight gages on the side of the lower units,like some hydraulic reservoirs(aircraft are loaded with them).
Then you could see quantity and quality at a glance.