Help Please - Seabee 4 Gearbox Separation

3

3pinplug

New Member
Joined
26 Aug 2018
Messages
16
Visit site
Hi all,
Trying to get the gearbox section apart, so far I have:-
1. Removed the 3 bolts numbered 59 (x2) and 60 as shown in attached diagram.
2. Taken all the components away for the propellor i.e 75 - 63 on diagram.
3. Have a bout a 5 mm gap but the thing won't separate.

I can see the main drive shaft (no.26) goes into a top bush under the impelleor (no.57) and possibly a bottom bush No.61? Part 62 is also still on situ.

Any ideas on how to get this thing apart as I am well and truly stuck!!!, there is an impellor key (no.51) do i need to remove that?
Hoping someone can help?
Thanks
Mark
seabee4.JPG
 
3pinplug said:
Hi all,
Trying to get the gearbox section apart, so far I have:-
1. Removed the 3 bolts numbered 59 (x2) and 60 as shown in attached diagram.
2. Taken all the components away for the propellor i.e 75 - 63 on diagram.
3. Have a bout a 5 mm gap but the thing won't separate.

I can see the main drive shaft (no.26) goes into a top bush under the impelleor (no.57) and possibly a bottom bush No.61? Part 62 is also still on situ.

Any ideas on how to get this thing apart as I am well and truly stuck!!!, there is an impellor key (no.51) do i need to remove that?
Hoping someone can help?
Thanks
Mark

Now that you have removed all the guts from the gearbox the pinion gear should fall off the bottom of the drive shaft See if you can persuade it to come off ... there does not appear to be a retaining clip.

Then maybe you can separate the gearcase from the "leg" sufficiently to undo the screws holding the pump top cover in pace then it should all come apart.

BUT BUT But

I think probably the drive shaft should have pulled from the powerhead and come way with the gear case and pump intact. Then the pump cover would be easy to remove giving access to the pump impeller and its key
The drive shaft would pull from the gearcase leaving the pinion in position

Wait and see if neil_s responds... I know the guy and know he is someone you can trust to give sound advice.

Why are you pulling it apart anyway ?
Click to expand...
 
All good advice. But how old is this engine?
Ah, just seen the other thread. I had one back in 1979. JLO engine and a bit crude. I admire anybody who wants to keep one going.
 
Last edited:
On the Seabee 3, the gearbox would just drop off, leaving the pump rotor on the shaft. Looking at your Seabee 4 exploded view, I think the shaft should come away from the power-head, so that the shaft and pump can be assembled on the gear-box as Vic describes above. The key locating the pump rotor on the shaft won't pass through the top of the pump case. Note that the exhaust enters a chamber at the top of the leg and the cooling water gets mixed with it there. Maybe seawater has splashed onto the shaft - power-head coupling and rusted it so that it won't come apart, and the water pump rotor key won't pass through the pump top plate. I think you need to find out how the shaft fits onto the power-head crank so that you can get an idea of how to separate them. A brute-force 'pull' might wreck your pump top plate. On the Seabee 3, the shaft end is threaded and simply screws into the crank. Surprisingly, they are quite easy to undo but unfortunately that probably doesn't help you. Is there enough space to get a 'sideways' screw driver into your 5mm gap to undo the pump top cover screws, again, as Vic suggests?
 
Just another thought - the pump impeller looks like a solid one so it won't need replacing. Might be an idea to leave the leg together for now rather than risk damage. Just replenish the lube in the gearbox and get the power head running until more info comes to light.
 
Hi all
I will see if i can get a screwdriver in, i can definitely get at one screw but not sure about the other. I was just going to check the impellor as wanted to give everything a good lube / check over the winter in readiness for next years boating.
Theres not much info on these but as an ex motorbiker inlove the simplicity of a 2 stroke engine well when you can get them apart!
 
3pinplug said:
Hi all
I will see if i can get a screwdriver in, i can definitely get at one screw but not sure about the other. I was just going to check the impellor as wanted to give everything a good lube / check over the winter in readiness for next years boating.
Theres not much info on these but as an ex motorbiker inlove the simplicity of a 2 stroke engine well when you can get them apart!
Click to expand...

It wont come apart unless you get the pinion off the end of the shaft so do that first.

I suspect Neil is right about the impeller being a solid one, like they are in Seagulls
 
Hi
Thought it best to put a pic up, thank you all for the advice so far I really appreciate your help with this.
Ok so I cleaned out the inside of the prop housing and found the end of a shaft with a brass bush round it, is this the part that needs removing VIC S? - if so how do i get this out, does it unscrew using the slot at the 9pm position?
The screws for the impellor cover are there and I can see them , I suspect with some difficulty i could get these off but looking at it i need to get the prop housing off first to allow proper access to the impellor. The drive rod at the joint looks brass in colour yet the square end in the prop housing looks steel - is this the same rod?
Will await some further pointers before doing anything more.
Thanks
Mark
pic1.jpg
 

Attachments

  • pic2.jpg
    pic2.jpg
    154.1 KB · Views: 2
3pinplug said:
Hi
Thought it best to put a pic up, thank you all for the advice so far I really appreciate your help with this.
Ok so I cleaned out the inside of the prop housing and found the end of a shaft with a brass bush round it, is this the part that needs removing VIC S? - if so how do i get this out, does it unscrew using the slot at the 9pm position?
The screws for the impellor cover are there and I can see them , I suspect with some difficulty i could get these off but looking at it i need to get the prop housing off first to allow proper access to the impellor. The drive rod at the joint looks brass in colour yet the square end in the prop housing looks steel - is this the same rod?
Will await some further pointers before doing anything more.
Thanks
Mark
Click to expand...

I see you have taken the pinion gear off the end of the drive shaft. I guess it came off easily.

The only reason to remove bush #61 would be in order to replace it ( likewise the upper one #57) I'd think the slot is there to ensure adequate lubrication. I doubt if either bush is screwed in, possibly dropped in after heating the gearcase in hot water.

So the thing wont come apart because the drive shaft wont pull from the powerhead. Brute force will result in damaging the pump top cover because it is probably only the impeller and its key that is stopping the shaft pulling out of the water pump.

Neil is probably right in thinking that the impeller is a rigid one and that the best plan is to simply rebuild the gearcase with some fresh water resistant grease.
 
Why do that???? Two strokes are a very simple engine and i like them.
Yes i do plan to use it hence why i am stripping it down and servicing it.
Just because you have the latest boat engine doesnt mean it wont go wrong!
Suppose theres always one on a forum!
 
3pinplug said:
Why do that???? Two strokes are a very simple engine and i like them.
Yes i do plan to use it hence why i am stripping it down and servicing it.
Just because you have the latest boat engine doesnt mean it wont go wrong!
Suppose theres always one on a forum!
Click to expand...

Just pointing out that you are working on a very old outboard that was assembled from the cheapest available components. Spares will be almost impossible to find. Even new they were not as reliable as Seagulls. The coil and capacitor are long past their best by dates.

But it is a bit of boating history and as such belongs in a museum. Perhaps next to a Trabant.
 
1. So by your reckoning ALL the classic cars in the world need new coils and capacitors fitting immediately as there well past there best date, funnily enough i go by the colour and brightness of spark and as mines good i will go with that.
2. Assembled from the cheapest available parts, how do you know was you the designer?
3. So the only place for all old boat engines should be in a museum yet you will make an exception for seagulls, sorry i thought they were old as well.
Please jog on by and go make your silly comments elsewhere there not of any use and i wont be responding to anymore, this is a great forum and i have had some very useful / helpful comments from membes but then idiots like you appear.
Fire up your seagull head sourh and dont come back.
 
3pinplug said:
1. So by your reckoning ALL the classic cars in the world need new coils and capacitors fitting immediately as there well past there best date, funnily enough i go by the colour and brightness of spark and as mines good i will go with that.
2. Assembled from the cheapest available parts, how do you know was you the designer?
3. So the only place for all old boat engines should be in a museum yet you will make an exception for seagulls, sorry i thought they were old as well.
Please jog on by and go make your silly comments elsewhere there not of any use and i wont be responding to anymore, this is a great forum and i have had some very useful / helpful comments from membes but then idiots like you appear.
Fire up your seagull head sourh and dont come back.
Click to expand...

Anyone want to take a guess at the aka? ;)

Richard
 
Hi all
Thought I'd post a quick update as I have managed to remove the leg from the "Seabee 4" (4 Hp) outboard I am servicing / getting ready to fire up. In order to get at the driveshaft to allow me to inspect the impellor (and yes it is the solid type will post a pic in next post) after much head scratching I finally figured out how to do it and it came apart really easily in the end, so have posted some pics in case anyone else ever needs to do one.
Remove the split pin, in irder to get prop off what looks like a white or black piece of rubber on the front of the prop is actually the bolt holding it on, look carefully and you will see two flats on it put a spanner across these and turn and it simply unbolt.
Undo the three bolts I have shown then prise open the gap with a screwdriver "but only" once the the propellor shaft and bearings have all removed, the shaft just protruding through the brass bush i originally showed in the propellor housing does just pop out when you lever below the engine surprisingly. Then you pull off the tube cover cover bit off the shaft (as shown) and hooray the shaft is fully exposed.
Now all apart going to clean it all up and inspect everything then start on reassembly, will post some more pics as I go. I nned to make a new gasket as you can see it ripped upon removal but have some 1mm gasket material on order as I have to make this from scratch using the old remnants as a template.
Thanks again to all who have helped so far I will have some more questions to call on your expertise again, you can bank on that!
Thanks
Mark


seabee7.jpg
seabee9.jpg
IMG_5564.jpgseabee10.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top