Lower unit

[cddetelich]

Boatyard called me yesterday. Winterizing my 215 Explorer, when changing lower unit oil on my Johnson 150 found chips and shavings. They suggested finishing the winterizing of the boat, removing lower unit to be worked on over winter.
Two questions:
1. First, I always heard that "re-built" meant replacing worn parts, and that "re-manufactured" meant replacing all parts.
Anybody else have ideas?
2. We all agreed that if it became to complicated I was better off getting a re-manufactured unit and spending the money for a name brand rather than a "generic" no-name. I think this may be around $1,000 total. Am I close?
As always, thanks for the help.
Charlie

[gman 82 aquasport]

Chips and shavings, not good.. :(
#1 Rebuild means just as you said, they take it apart and replace any faulty or worn out parts..Re-manufactured usually means that they took it all apart and checked the parts to factory specs and if any parts didn't measure up or were broken they replace them and put it back together to factory specs.
#2 You probably will be better off with a OEM re-manufacured unit as it should come with a decent warranty. I have friends who have used some off brand new units without problems, but I am unsure of the warranty on them.
$1000.  sounds about right for the lower unit if they are doing all the on- off install..but if you have any mechanical skills you can replace the unit and save a chunk of change..

[slvrlng]

There is another option rather than OEM.

http://shopsei.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Scr ... eLowerUnit

Three year warranty, have seen both really good reviews and a couple of problem ones on THT.
You could get one of these and then over the winter rebuild your old one yourself to have as a backup, then once you figure out if the SEI one is okay sell the rebuilt one.

[flounderpounder225]

There is another option rather than OEM.

http://shopsei.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Scr ... eLowerUnit

Three year warranty, have seen both really good reviews and a couple of problem ones on THT.
You could get one of these and then over the winter rebuild your old one yourself to have as a backup, then once you figure out if the SEI one is okay sell the rebuilt one.

X2 on the SEI units, they overall get very good reviews...

[wingtime]

SEI is right here in the Tampa Bay area.  I think they are clearly using some imported components if not all imported.  With a 150 HP motor would give them a try.  I'd be a tad leery of using the same lower unit on a higher HP model.  Of course I'm close enough that I can go set the darn thing on someones desk if I have a warranty problem verses shipping it.

[fitz73222]

Before we jump off of the bridge for a new or rebuilt unit. How much shavings and fines are we talking about? I've seen a ton of lower units that had a collection of metal fines on the magnet from somewhat normal gear/clutch dog wear or from poor shifting habits, incorrect shift cable adjustment or extended use without changing the lube and have absolutely nothing wrong with them. This can be compared to the poor guy that gets it up his butt from the transmission house that reaches in the oil pan and shows you all the metal fines in the bottom of the pan which is absolutely normal clutchpack wear. If the unit wasn't making noises or clunks and was shifting fine and didn't have water in it refill it and retest. I realize you're out of time for this year and not calling your mechanic less than honest but I'm just sharing my experience. The SEI gearcases are a great deal with a great warranty at a third of the price of an OEM replacement.

[gman 82 aquasport]

2nd what fitz says, refill it and see what you have before spending the $$$ to get it rebuilt or replaced..

[dburr]

Running the lower unit after the oil has been changed to see what happens is a fine idea.  Did the yard mechanic happen to save the chip sample?

When we get a chip light in the helicopter's main transmission, if the chip plugs fuzz up again within 50 hrs of the initial chip light or have "wire" on them, the first step is to do an oil change then penalty run to see if the light comes on again..

How mechanically inclined are you Charlie?  

If you can read and understand a shop manual or Seloc manual, you have all winter to pull the bearing carrier and take a look at the gears to give yourself piece of mind.  Worrying about it all winter may give you grey hair..  If you take the gearbox apart and look at it it will cost you a seal kit and you can do your water pump at the same time.

We are here to help!

[seabob4]

Pretty much third on what Farley says.  Think about it...why do they have magnetic drain plugs in oil pans?  Now if you see, like, a hunk of a piston skirt stuck to it, you may have a problem!  

If all was good operationally before the winterizing, have them change the gear oil and wait until the spring...  

[wingtime]

That was always one of my jokes on finding metal filings....  "does it have any part numbers on it?"  LOL  yeah unless it was a large amount and it was running and shifting fine I'd change the oil and run it.   Some metal filings are normal.

[pigbike]

From what I remember about outboard lower units you will get some fine metal on the magnet due to clutch dog wear. It seems the gears are better or harder steel then the clucth dog, so the dog takes the beating and not the gears. Clutch dogs are the cheaper part of the gearcase and can be replaced. The gears are expensive but do not need replacement as often.

If it's not jumping out of gear I would just change the oil and see what happens. If it does jump out of gear have it rebuilt before the clutch dogs beats the gear to death.

The terms rebuilt and remanufactured are generally the same. It just sounds better. If the gears and prop shaft are good no one is going to replace them just for the hell of it. Remanufactured just sounds better.  Oh yeah don't let a mechanic work on it, make sure he's a technician. If you have to deal with anyone else make sure he's not just an employee, but he is an associate. It's all in the wording.

[pigbike]

If you decide to tackle it your self the hardest part will be gettiing the bearing housing out of the gearcase. This usually involves some heat and two slide hammers. The rest of it is in oil so it slides right out.

http://shop2.evinrude.com/Index.aspx?s1 ... 0&siteid=1

[200CCPMerc200]

SEI is right here in the Tampa Bay area.  I think they are clearly using some imported components if not all imported.  With a 150 HP motor would give them a try.  I'd be a tad leery of using the same lower unit on a higher HP model.  Of course I'm close enough that I can go set the darn thing on someones desk if I have a warranty problem verses shipping it.

By way of China

[seabob4]

By way of China

Sucks, don't it...

[Aswaff400]

There is another option rather than OEM.

http://shopsei.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Scr ... eLowerUnit

Three year warranty, have seen both really good reviews and a couple of problem ones on THT.
You could get one of these and then over the winter rebuild your old one yourself to have as a backup, then once you figure out if the SEI one is okay sell the rebuilt one.

X2 on the SEI units, they overall get very good reviews...

x3... quite a few boats in our marina are running SEI lowerunits or complete outdrives. the boats i can think of that run SEI unit or outdrive is a 250 merc, a 225 johnson, a 5.7 mercruiser, 5.0 mercruiser, a 383 stroker, and a 4.3L mercruiser... our mechanics have been getting great results with them.