First time and all is well.

[wiliermdb]

I dropped the lower unit on the 115 for the first time this evening. I had someone change the impeller when I first bought the boat. That's when I had the carbs totally overhauled.

Was not too bad of a job. Started around 6:30 PM after work, took a 30 minute break to run to Lowe's and get some new stainless flat washers and lock washers for various bolts. I replaced the impeller, all seals on the pump housing, the o-ring near the top of the drive shaft (which was not there when I removed it and the large gasket that goes between the lower unit and the exhaust tube in the mid section. I noticed since I had it there was a little black sneaking out the seam there. It was all mangled. There was all kinds of carbon in the exhaust tube as well. I shoved a foam sponge all the way to the top and sprayed some carbon remover in there and hit it with the hot water hose. It's squeaky clean now.

All in all it was an easy job. Finished putting all the tools away and walked in the house at 9:50 PM.  $67 in parts/shipping and it's good to go.

Trying out a loaner RAKER 13 1/2 x 20 in the morning. Hope it gives me some more top end.  We will see.

[David CVX-16]

Looks like you did a good job with the impeller and generally cleaning up inside the midsection. Wish I had done mine better, looking back at it. You should like the 20" Raker.

[84carlson]

I'm going to do in this fall, been 4 years since it was done.  Was it a lot of trouble getting to the shift linkage under the carbs?

[wiliermdb]

Not at all. I have a '77 model 115 Evinrude. You have to remove the black air box extender, shift and throttle cables, the choke solenoid and then you're good to go. On mine there is a two piece pivot arm that has a pin that goes through the shift rod. One large pivot bolt holds this arm to the block and it connects to the arm that moves with the cable. Five bolts hold the lower unit in place and it's out of there.

I replaced the water pump gasket, the gasket that is pressed into the metal plate on top of the H2O pump housing that seals the drive shaft, the rubber seal that goes around the metal plate and seals off the mid section from the drive shaft and the lower unit to mid section exhaust housing in the mid section. Mine looked original and all messed up. Put an o ring on the upper part of the drive shaft just below the splines. Nothing was there when I removed it.

[wiliermdb]

Well, the 20 Raker didn't turn out any better numbers that I was hoping for. I could push it to a max of 5200 and 45 - 46 mph. Guess that's all I can squeeze out of the old gal.  That's the same top end I get with the original SST 21 pitch.

I have to say, those Rakers are the smoothest running props. It plans quickly and is smooth at all RPMs. The engine just purrs with that prop.