| By Southern Boats on Engine Upkeep Most of the lower unit of an outboard motor is nothing more than the mounting for the gear case. The gear case is the "business end" of the lower unit of the lower unit of an outboard motor and, when boaters talk about "changing out the lower unit," they are actually talking about disconnecting the speedometer cable, removing the gear case, and replacing the old, worn gear case with a new or rebuilt gear case. This is also an ideal time to inspect the prop for nicks and bent blades. Difficulty: Challenging Instructions Things You'll Need: - Camper's headlamp
- Socket set
- Screwdriver
- Lithium grease
Step 1 Take the key out of the ignition switch and pull the emergency lanyard (the line that clips to the operator's life jacket) out of the emergency stop switch. Move engine control handle to the neutral position. Step 2 Remove the prop and the gear case cover with a socket wrench. Locate the splice connector at the end of the speedometer tube that comes out of the top of the front side of the gear case. Pull the two ends of the splice connector apart. On top rear of the gear case, there is a plastic plug; pry it out with a small screwdriver. Under the plug, there is a bolt. Using a socket wrench (and a socket extender, if necessary) loosen the bolt completely and remove the trim tab (the fin just above the prop). Step 3 Remove the gear case by removing the bolt below the the place where the trim tab was mounted and remove the two bolts on either side. If the gear case won't come out easily, hit the plate above the prop with the side of your fist to break it loose, or pry gently with a screwdriver. Remove the gear case by pulling it straight out. If the old gear case has locating pins and the new gear case does not (they may be sold separately from the new gear case), transfer them from the old gear case to the new gear case: they are critical to gear case alignment. Step 4 Grease the drive shaft and shifter shaft splines by wiping them with a rag covered with lithium grease, which is available at most auto parts stores. Visually inspect the control handle to make sure that it is in neutral and turn the shaft of the gear case to make sure that it is in neutral as well. If it is not, move the drive shaft until the gear case shifts to neutral. Slide the gear case up into place. If it is not aligned with the water pump housing, it will will not go in all the way. Step 5 Gently push the drive shaft upwards, into the mid-part of the motor; push up until it reaches the of the crankshaft. if it won't go all the way to the bottom of the crankshaft, have a friend turn the motor flywheel clockwise until the drive shaft and crankshaft are aligned. When the crankshaft and the drive shaft are aligned, lower the drive shaft just enough to insert the speedometer through the hole line up the shift shaft, push the gear case all the way up and insert one bolt finger tight to maintain alignment. Replace the prop. Step 6 Set the motor control handle to the forward position, then try to spin the prop. The prop should not move turn. Return the control handle back into the neutral position; the prop should spin freely in both directions. Set the control handle to reverse. The prop should not move. Replace and tighten all the bolts, reinstall the trim tab, push the ends of the splice connector on the speedometer cable together. Then replace the gear case cover, replace and tighten all bolts and test-run the motor.      | 
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