1984 v20 cc

B

boatrookie

Member
I want to apologize in advance for this long post: Well, I am at a crossroads here and wanted to see what any of your thoughts would be. I have posted in the repairs section "lower unit removal on Johnson 225". I want to first thank everyone for their ideas and such. So, I threw in the towel last week and took it to my local boat shop. They called me today and said it wasn't coming off. They said it's pumping water fine, just run it until she won't anymore, then re-power it. Now, here's where the dilemma comes in. Should I just sell it for what I have in it ($2800) and move on before I tear up a perfectly good running engine, or just enjoy it and worry about the consequences later? I mean, there has got to be someone out there who could actually salvage this motor because it seems so odd to me that the design of this would make it to where there is no saving it once this happens!! I can email pics directly to anyone who may have any interest. By the way, I am located about 30 miles east of Atlanta. It is also on a dual axle aluminum slide on trailer. Let me know if anyone wants pics, or just wants to sway me in a certain direction because I can literally go either way with this at this point. Thanks again for everyone's input.
 
I would be looking for another mechanic. The lower unit is made to be separated to replace the water pump. It sounds like they are just trying to sell you a motor once that one blows up. Did you remove all five bolts? four visible and one under the steering alignment plate.
 
I know of at least 3 or 4 friends who have had to re-power because of a frozen lower unit, mostly on older seadrives, but all omc products. definately a real problem. are you talking about selling the whole rig or just your motor and repowering?
 
Hedge said:
I would be looking for another mechanic. The lower unit is made to be separated to replace the water pump. It sounds like they are just trying to sell you a motor once that one blows up. Did you remove all five bolts? four visible and one under the steering alignment plate.
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should be 6, two on each side, one under the trim tab, one just in front of that, but not the one that holds the anode on. And yes, lower units tend to get stuck on, I had a yamaha 250 that i couldn't get the lower unit off. I took wedges made from epe wood and drove them in on each side, fired the motor up and put it in gear, still didn't come off
 
This shop is very reputable (open since 1970) and would not even consider that is what they were trying to do. I too have read of many that just will not come apart. I am talking about selling the entire setup, aluminum trailer and all.
 
I would run it for the season, then sell it for pats to some one, and look for a good used motor! Winter is coming and there will be deals out there!! No reason to get rid of the whole package, just because of the motor!! Heck if I threw in the towel when things weren't right I would have gave up 20 years ago when I started!
If you like the boat, getting on the water, then get a used motor! If anyone here can complain its me, I have had some real bad set backs, but am set up great now!!
 
Been there, done that! I took my motor in to get the water impleller replaced for preventative maintenence. My 91 225 Rude wouldn't come apart without risking irreversible damage and I didn't want to give the mechanic the go ahead. The really long bolts were frozen itno the center unti. There just wasn't a good way to pull them apart.

Run the boat until the water pump quits working. Then you can really go to town on trying to get the bottom off. I was able to get mine off using wood and metal wedges/penetrating oil/heat and the kind of "I don't give a s**t you're coming off if you come off in pieces" kind of force and low and behold she budged. Got it apart. Replaced the pump and got another year out of her before the splines rounded out of the flywheel and had to repower anyway.

You'll get maybe $500 for your working motor now. The motor you would repower with will depreciate more than that over the next 2 years.
 
That's what I have decided to do, and I will definately give it the "treatment" when the time comes to HAVE to remove the lower unit!. I appreciate all of the input, so I will just enjoy it til' she blows. Ha
 
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