So the $135 is too much for what i need? Sounds like I can hit west marine for $10 plus the seals on the propshaft and a new crush ring? Does West Marine have the crush ring and the other propshaft seals as well?

The propshaft seals are housed in the bearing carrier. You typically replace this as an assembly. Unless you have a reason to change it like oil leaking out or water getting in, leave it alone. Can you give us more info on what the problem is?

BT

Dave (BT),
I would replace the prop seals since the carrier is out. Why go to all this trouble and not replace them? Be kicking yourself in the azz this summer when they decide to leak and you decided to save a couple of bucks and 10 minutes of time now. The prop seals are only $8 bucks apiece. The tool I made sets the depth of the seals same as factory, but simply looking at them before removing the old ones will work too. If the carrier housing is in good shape and not corroded, why buy a complete new housing for $120 when $16 will do? Just my thoughts.

Dave,
The WM catelog shows plenty of seals available, so they may have them. Doubt it on the crush ring.
The seals are plain ol seals that can be bought at any bearing and seal supplier, but not enough of a savings for the hassles maybe. Yes, $135 is more than you will need. I just did a quick check at BAM site. I see right around $50-$60 for all the needed parts, that was figureing $16 for a crush ring. Depending on your drive yr, may not need it. Do you have access to a carrier nut wrench and carrier puller?
Jerry

I must have missed where the carrier was out Jerry. I still haven't figured out what problem we are trying to fix. Your point is well taken about just replacing the seals. When I did mine several years ago I destroyed the carrier totally getting it out and there was no return. I can say that in an older bravo drives removing the carrier, which is necessary to replace the seals, can be like opening pandoras box. In my case one I destroyed everything then found out you couldn't get the correct carrier housing for mine (1988 bravo). I had to triple shim to get the proper preload.

Does the drive take on water Dave1972?

BT

I believe his propshaft is either bent or twisted. This alone will be cause for looking REAL close at the carrier. I would guess a bent shaft has a real high possibilty of causing the carrier propshaft bearing race to move and ruin the race bore. I was lucky and my carriers came out no problem. Course my drives are only 4 yrs old fresh water only.

The propshaft splines are twisted. Through advice here it was recommended that I change the shaft. I have acquired a used take out shaft and am ready to replace the shaft.

Since I'm going to the trouble, I need to pull the upper and grease the u-joints as well. Right now everything in the upper is fine as far as I know. I was told that if the propshaft is twisted, it's possible that the vertical shaft is twisted as well. This has not caused any problems for me whatsoever. The main reason I'm doing this is because I don't really want to lose my prop if the shaft twists the rest of the way.

Any chance you have a picture of the twisted propshaft Dave? Do you know what caused it? If it is really twisted, I would replace the shaft and everything short of the mitre gear, as ling as it checks out ok.

I've seen 310 hp motors twist Bravo prop shafts. Usually its wave jumping without throttling back.

I'm not exactly sure when the propshaft got twisted. I believe it was when I hit a few rocks and gnarfed up the prop while in process of rafting together with some friends.

Propshaft