Lower Bearing Seal Spring Washer Imposter

[aquasonic]

While reassembling the Lower Bearing Seal Assembly on a 1955 Evinrude Fleetwin, I noticed something wrong. The brass or bronze Lower Bearing Seal Spring Washer, PN 303327, was severely worn from contact with the driveshaft roll pin.

At first glance, I was thinking that something must have become seized within the assembly, and that caused the deep roll pin wear on the bottom of the Spring Washer. I knew that it needed replacing, so to the parts supply I went.

Once the replacement part was compared to the worn out part, that was the moment of discovery. The worn out Spring Washer never was the right part, it was an imposter!

Someone had substituted some type of brass grommet, or a part from another motor, for the correct part. The substitute part has the same O.D., a larger I.D., a lip on the I.D., no bumps to "lock in" with the driveshaft roll pin, and a slightly different profile. Without the "lock in" bumps, there was metal to metal rotational friction at 4000 RPM.

The driveshaft roll pin also has been shaved off on top at the contact point with the washer and will need replacing. The bottom washer in the pictures is the correct original.

[fisherman6]

I think the early brass cup washers did not have the bumps. I have run across plenty of them without the bumps and yes, they’re worn just like yours.
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[aquasonic]

Thanks for clearing that up. I guess that this is the first one that I’ve seen. I’m sure that I would have noticed others that had that kind of wear. This motor is a 55′, and I have not seen this on the 54′ Fleetwins and Johnson CD’s. Maybe OMC didn’t want to waste the older style left over parts?

[fisherman6]

That could be the case. I have one of these in a ’55 CD-12 I just put together. I also worked on a ’54 Fleetwin that had one of these in it recently also. I believe both of those motors also had the brass stepped washer that holds the lower crankshaft seal gasket against the bottom of the powerhead. They have all been worn but only one was worn as much as yours. I’m sure when the roll pin starts to wear thru the wear on the washer accelerates too. I made sure the seam of the roll pin was not riding against the cup washer when I put them back together.
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[aquasonic]

Ben, you bring up a good point about orienting the roll pin so that the seam doesn’t contact the bottom of the cupped spring washer. Regardless of which type of washer that you have, that seam could cause trouble. 😐

[Mumbles]

A ’55 Fleetwin I just finished working on had the same brass cup washer in it without the dimples stamped in it. When I reassembled it, I used a later one with the dimples and also put everything back in the correct order. This motor came with the carbon seal against the drive pin, then the spring and finally the brass cup washer on top riding against the original brass washer. I could write a book about everything else I found haywire on it.

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[fisherman6]

I have seen a lot of weird stuff working on these motors, but that’s one I haven’t seen yet Mumbles. I can only imagine the other haywire stuff you found while working on this one.
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[Mumbles]

quote Fisherman6:

I can only imagine the other haywire stuff you found while working on this one.

Yup, it goes on and on. Like the spare carbon seal and O ring stashed away on the water tube right above the pump. I’ll bet you’ve never seen that before!

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[1957evinrude]

Soon it will be time for me to take the power head off of my 57 7.5 evinrude.Dont know what to expect.

[fisherman6]

You are correct Mums, that’s a new one on me. Always good to have a spare carbon seal, eh!
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

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