Removing the lower unit (Part 2)

I want to inspect the condition of the water impeller so I decided to remove the lower unit again, this time I need to disconnect the shift rod also.

I drained the gear oil but still I'm not sure if this is really needed.
I proceeded as described in the earlier post.

One needs to open fours bolts to detatch the lower unit:
- two bolts that can be opened using 13 mm bolt socket
- one bolt that can ne opened using 17 mm bolt socket
-  one bolt which requires 6 mm allen key to open.

For disconnecting shift rod you need a 4 mm allen key and an 8 mm bolt socket.
The gap is quite narrow so pick your tools accordingly.

When I disconnected the shift rod the lower unit dropped immediately,
it's a good idea to support it somehow!

The bolts holding the lower unit and the bolt linking shift rod.

The front rod was quite rusty.

The water pump case.

The head of the driveshaft was in a good condition.

Installing Hill Marine Semi Cleaver propeller (Part 1)

I'm looking for more top end speed and think I have hit the performance barrier as far as Solas aluminium propellers are considered. Hill Marine has a nice selection of stainless steel propellers so I decided to get one for my Selva Madeira 40 XS from Ebay. Unfortunately they do not advertise propellers for 2T Selva outboards so I decided to buy a propeller labeled as "Signature-Semi-Cleaver-13-Spline-Race-Propeller-18P-for-Yamaha-F18R3L-117". After all I have been using Yamaha G-series propellers without problems so this should fit like a glove!

Hill Marine Semi Cleaver  11 1/4 X 18 

This propeller came with a Michigan Wheels XHS hub kit 117 for Yamaha.

I tried to install this hub kit and quite quickly noticed that although Selva Madeira 40 XS is compatible with Yamaha G-series propellers it DOES NOT mean that one can replace the stock thrust washer with Yamaha thrust washer that comes with XHS hub kit 117!

Both have 13 splines which is fine, the problem is that Selva thrust washer has narrowing teeth whereas Yamaha thrust washer's teeth do not narrow. Hopefully the images below give some explanation.

Selva Madeira 40 XS stock thrust washer

Michigan Wheels XHS 117 thrust washer (part number 991243)

It was possible to install the propeller but due to differences in the shape of teeth the propeller was a little "shaky" and I'm not comfortable to use it like this. I'm not sure how to proceed, I might alter the XHS thrust washer or find some way to use stock thrust washer with this Hill Marine propeller.

I'll post an update once I have figured out what to do. If you have some information please use the commenting functionality below! :)

Installing XHS thrust washer 991243.

Thrust washer does not go all the way.

The semi cleaver looks good but does not fit 100 %!

Stuck thrust washer

It has been a long and dark winter but now spring is arriving slowly but surely.

I want to install a very different kind of propeller so I need to remove the stock thrust washer.
Unfortunately it's so stuck that I failed to remove it when the boat was still is in the water.

Today I tried to remove it again by hand but no luck. I sprayed lots of CRC Penetrating Oil and let it do its job for 15 minutes, then I applied it even more and waited some time.

After that I used a large flat head screwdriver and carefully tried to move it. It's very easy to damage the paint on lower unit. I tried from different positions and finally it moved.
It could be that this was the first time the thrust washer was removed since the outboard came from the factory!