Re: 5516 5.5 Evinrude No seal

[Don]

So, the carbon seal and little oring were missing, correct? Unfortunately, when the lower seal is damaged/missing, the end result is a bit of water getting pumped through the engine which usually affects the connecting rod bushings more than anything else.
Deciding what to do now is a judgement call. Did you have the engine running before doing the work? If so, how did it sound? Generally speaking, you would expect to hear some rod noise if there is damage/wear, but this is not always the case. I’m assuming the compression is OK/even though.
Is this engine in real nice cosmetic condition? I guess there is no way of knowing how long the engine was run with the missing seal pieces.
So, I’m thinking, if it were me, I would probably run it (16:1) and see how it sounds. Just keep your ears tuned for any excess engine noise in the future.
PS-Don’t forget the 303347 oring that fits inside the carbon seal…