Reply To: Help removing lower unit 1985 evinrude 6hp

[Don]

Starting and stopping the engine probably won’t help, but it might soften the grommet a bit, I guess it’s worth a try….Be sure to put the bolts back in first and run it in a test tank with the water level over the gearcase/exhaust housing joint…
Once it is warmed up, try again immediately.
It only comes down 1/8″…
You don’t want to twist it too much, that will only bend the water tube up, but you really cant twist it much with that plastic upper cover in the way anyway.
It is hard to advise without seeing or being there. You may want to try prying just a little bit with a big screwdriver on either end of the gearcase. The gearcase won’t “give” at all if the driveshaft splines are seized. But, if the gearcase seems to come down a bit, then springs back up when pressure is release, this would indicate that it is just the grommet holding the water tube in place.
Again, you don’t want to pry very hard…There is no way to remove and straighten the water tube without pulling the powerhead… And, as I mentioned before, if the driveshaft is seized, prying down too hard will pop the driveshaft out of the impeller housing. This will require powerhead removal also, getting seized driveshaft/crank situations apart is a gamble at best.
I am only “slightly encouraging” you to pry a bit based on your description of a low hour/fresh water engine, which makes a seized driveshaft splines must less likely…
Again, post some good pictures so we can see the engine and what is going on….D