cannot remove leg

[beakie]

Hi, I have a 2002 model merc optimax 200hp, we went to drop the leg the other day to do water impellor etc, the leg is stuck fully, we have tried wedging it off, our local merc mechanic coundnt get it off, it appears to be stuck in the spline. Does any one have any ideas please, we have had a lot of weight on this trying tom prise apart with wooden wedges etc, tried using the leg bolts as jacking screws etc, it will not budge at all
thanks
jason

[offshr]

removing lower end

I feel your pain I have a 2001 opti had same problem. After talking many marine mech. we ended up using metal wedges because wood ones were not strong enough. We finally got it loose there was no grease on spline of shaft was ceased into power head. I want to let you know that the motor ran about 1 hr after repair and blew up. What happens is you put so much pressure on the crank in the power head that it will crack the lower end cap and allow water to enter. We rebuilt the engine after this and has been running great. I think the factory forgot to put grease on shaft of lower unit its a total shame to beat on the lower end that way. Good luck hope all works out for you.

[bobkyle2]

Are you sure you have all the bolts out.. There are two on the bottom side of the cavatation plate

[beakie]

yeh mate, no bolts holding, she is frozen in the spline ! any one with any successful ideas on dropping it without causing any other damage to bearings etc ??

[boatmangc]

It is a crapshoot, with proper maintenance they will NOT stick, without maintenance you never know what will break. You can be sure something will.
I have had to cut drive shafts off, then pull the powerhead and air chisel the cut shaft out of the powerhead.
I have seen the driveshaft pull completely out of the lower unit as well, by a DIY customer who then brought it to me to repair the carnage.

After all is said and done, drop the lower once a year and grease the drive shaft splines.

[wildcater]

ditto to above and the factory dosent forget to grease some times its those union factory workers, before you destroy tomuch of the engine, try to ubolt the powerhead and see if you can get some space betweent it and the upper plate spray a lot of pb blaster or penatrating oi at the drive shaft. to get some space use metal wedges go slow, not to mush pressure at a time, it it doesnt work you will probley have cut a hose in the housing and cut driveshaft good luck