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I’m thinking that if a conversion were to be done it may be difficult in the first place. The older 5.5 exhaust housings are not molded to have an orifice with a slot to accommodate the role pin in the driveshaft. So all they have is the roll pin with the carbon seal, spring, gasket, and brass cup configuration sitting on them. The 6hp motors hold those seals in place, with the role pin compressing the seal against the lower crank/bottom of the powerhead.
I’m not sure if it would be possible to get everything lined up and inserted back into the lower crank (although maybe it wouldn’t be that bad?). If that WERE possible, removal of the gearcase would still allow to inspect that carbon seal, because that whole set up would come down every time you pulled off the gearcase. Again — putting it back together might prove challenging! It would need to be done with the motor almost perfectly vertical because I would think the carbon seal set up would fall off the driveshaft if tilted much. Plus the top of that ‘stack’ still needs to get lined up perfectly with the recess at the bottom of the powerhead.
Even with the 6hp set up, I’ve snapped so many of the roll pins trying to get everything lined up, it’s like trying to hit a bulls eye because it all has to be exactly right to go back together, particularly trying to get the brass shift connector from the lower gearcase shift rod lined up with the upper shift rod perfectly…that is…after getting the roll pin past the slot and THEN the driveshaft splines, then the shift linkage into the brass connector. Even been so frustrated a few times I end up just removing the powerhead to get it done "quicker."