drive shaft will not turn. 1955 5.5.

[labrador-guy]

I had one that that darn spring broke and it drove me crazy! Took the power head off three times before I found that bugger. Put that thing back together, running in the test tank, drop it in gear and BLAAA! There is a coil spring inside that shock absorber. If it breaks the coils climb up on themselves. Making the thing longer and it binds up in the housing. Maybe a Mercury engineer was moonlight or something! New ones are expensive, but weld is cheep!

[1946zephyr]

Wow mumbles. If my dog was that ugly, I’d shave his behind and make him walk backwards. 😀

But yes folks. What he posted here, is a classic example of how an expanded spring clutch assembly in the 5.5’s and 7.5’s will hog out the upper bearing like that. Nice black gear lube might even be a sign of this. It may have got hot too.

One thing, some in the past have done, is set the perfect length of these, to the upper bearing and tack weld the halves in each of the four quadrants 1/4 inch. Leave minimal up and down play. This way, you will very less likely to see this thing grenade out and destroy your upper bearing plate. I’ve seen a couple of those. Not pretty! The upper bearing is pretty tough to find, used and new, …… better be sitting down.

[reivertom]

I agree with Steve AW. If it is a Sierra impeller, check and make sure it’s not too thick. I remember a while back fellows complaining about this. If they are too thick, when you tighten down the pump housing, it locks up the drive shaft. Then if it isn’t the impeller, go on to other probable causes mentioned here.

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