removing 525sc from sonic
 

i am about to remove a motor for the first time. I think i have it under control except i am not sure how to disconnect the motor from the lower unit. can anyone help?

Had to pull one of mine a few weeks back to fix something. Once you get everything disconnected, put the hoist on it and lift about an inch, then wiggle forward. Once you do it, it is actually pretty easy. If you dont twist the shaft or the drive, it will simply slide back in place.... atleast mine did. Took me and a friend about 3 hours to get it out and only about 2.5 to get it all back together and running in the boat.

thanks for help but how many bolts connect motor to lower unit, where are they, when i take off excaust will i see them better

Pull the drive.
Only 2 bolts connect the motor to the transom assembly.

ohhh I didn't know i had to pull the drives to get the motor out

You dont have to pull the drives.

I think there were 5 or 6 bolts on the bellhousing. If you run your hand along the back of the motor you can find them all.

ok thanks i think i got but just to make sure. I cant see them right? but i can feel them?

You are much better off pulling the drive and then unbolting the bellhousing from the inner transom plate. You need to check engine alignment after you bolt the engine back in and this can't be accomplished with out pulling the drive off. It is MUCH less of a headache too.

Pull the drive. If don't check alignment after the reinstall, you are risking trashing the coupler and having to do it all over again.

The drive doesn't bolt to the engine. The input shaft from the drive slides into the coupler.

Make sure you keep the washers that connect the bell housing to transom assemble in the exact order they came off.

Thanks for all of your help. i have removed the motor fixed the starter and now I am having problems reinstalling the drive. It just will not slide on. I also have seen someone post about lining up motor. if i have not moved motor mounts is this an issue?

I had to fix the exact same thing on one of my HP500's. I am sorry to hear you are having issues getting the drive back on, but honestly, this is why I didnt mess with the drive at all.

There is an alignment tool you'll need to get the splines lined up with the motor. But maybe there is something else that needs to be done.... I am a novice when it comes to pulling drives on boats.

You need to check the alignment of the engine before installing the drive. You can get a tool from any Mercury Marine dealer, sorry I am at the house and don't have the Part number with me. Any decent sized dealer should have one in stock and they are around 100 bucks. Even if you did not adjust the mounts things could have changed when you bolted the engine back in or it may have been off to begin with. I am going to assume you are running a bravo drive. When you go to install it you should pull the shift link all the way out with a pair of needle nose pliers of it isn't all ready, it should have popped out when you pulled the drive off. Make sure the shifter in the boat is in the neutral position. Lightly clamp a pair of vice grips on to the prop shaft so that you can turn it easily while inserting the input shaft through the gimbal bearing and into the coupler, this will align the splines and allow it to slide in. Just make sure that the shift link closes around the shift cable end properly and it will push the link in and the drive will end up in neutral. Then just install the nuts, the trim cylinders and the speedo connector if yours has one. God luck, any other questions just let us know.

Yes aligning the motor is inportant but when you check that it also realigns the gimbal bearing with the coupler to let the input shaft go in.