Every year or every 100 hours, you are supposed to remove the lower unit of the 60-horsepower outboard motor on your boat and inspect the water pump for its condition -- and replace it if necessary. Should it require replacement, the process is straightforward. You have to remove the lower unit to gain access to the water pump then remove the pump and, using the parts from a pump replacement kit, make the needed repairs.
Items you will need
Screwdriver
5/8-inch open-end wrench
1/4-inch open-end wrench
Water pump replacement kit
Marine grease
Remove the nut from the battery post marked "NEG." Lift the cable from the battery post and move it away from the battery. Remove the screws holding the lower engine covers together with a screwdriver. Loosen the shift lever shaft nut and unsnap the shift rod from the shift lever.
Remove the four bolts, two on each side of the lower unit, that hold the lower unit in place with a 5/8-inch open-end wrench. Grasp the lower unit and pull it free of the motor, taking care not to damage the driveshaft or shift rod. Move the lower unit to a workspace where it can set upright.
Remove the four retaining bolts that hold the pump to the lower unit with a 1/4-inch open-end wrench. Slide the pump housing and impeller up and away from the driveshaft. Remove the impeller and liner from the housing.
Insert a new liner from the water pump replacement kit into the housing. Install the impeller into the liner, while turning the impeller counterclockwise, so its blades will face clockwise, their normal direction of rotation. Apply a thin bead of gasket sealant in the groove around the base of the housing and install the gasket.
Put a dab of marine grease on the impeller drive pin and set it into its notch on the driveshaft. Slide the water pump housing and impeller down the driveshaft. Apply gasket sealant to the outside of the water tube grommet and the pump housing grommet and push the water tube grommet into the small hole in the pump housing.
Slide the shaft grommet down the driveshaft, pressing it into the water pump housing. Install the four bolts that hold the pump in place and tighten them to 60 inch-pounds with a torque wrench.
References
- "Johnson Repair Manual 2.5 to 250 HP Models, 2002-2007"; Seloc Marine; 2007
Writer Bio
Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the author of a popular text on writing local history.
