Re: Powerhead removal advice, ’79 OMC 9.9?

[Don]

Not upside down. This engine uses the first change in the grommets, not likely that its water tube/grommet has been updated to the later style. Again, the first years of these engines did not really have grommet issues until the design was changed in the late 70s, I think 1979 was the first year for the misdesigned grommet.
In any event, there is a groove half way down the grommet that the water tube flange sets in. Installing the grommet "properly", allows the top half of the grommet to be unsupported internally by the water tube. When the grommet is not fully supported internally, salt build up between the exhaust housing and grommet easily crushes the top part of the grommet.
So, I just slide the grommet up to the top of the water tube flange and install the water tube into the inner exhaust housing this way. The grommet is fully supported and can not sneak up over the top of the water tube flange, minimizing the possibilities for grommet problems. This slight alteration has worked fine for me for many years, I still remember pulling my few remaining hairs out back in 1982 trying to diagnose a cooling problem before I gave up and pulled the powerhead. I also remember pulling the powerhead on this engine a few years later, just out of curiosity, to confirm that my alteration was working out OK.
Please know that this method will NOT work on later models with the second "update/improvement" to the water tube/grommet set up. This later design surely was an improvement, but the problem still existed because the top of the water tube was slightly lower than the top of the grommet. In these cases, I simply shaved off 1/8" off the top of the grommet.
The last water tube/grommet kit I bought seemed to be improved again, the top of the water tube was even with the top of the grommet.