I don't know if this will work for you or not, but while the outboard
was attached to the boat I used a floor jack to support the lower unit
(once I got the drive shaft in the right vicinity) to free up my hands
and I put a little spot of white grease on each tube to keep it from
sliding around while I slowly (...slowly...) jacked the lower unit up
while at the same time gently turning the prop to line up the splines
and (my OB has an electronic shift so there are wires the go down into
the lower unit) fish wires back up into the power head and line up the
water tubes. The manual says it's a 2 or 3 man job but I was able to
juggle it all in not once but twice (2nd time was easier) after I
remembered that I forgot to torque the water pump bolts. \

Jeff



wingspan wrote:
I finally got the stuck bolt out of my 1976 Johnson 35's water pump
housing, replaced the impeller and started trying to put the lower unit
back in its place. The new snag is the copper water tube that has to go
into the grommet on top of the water pump housing. The copper tube
won't stay in one place long enough for me to persuade the drive shaft
into the power head, the shift linkage into the connector and the pipe
into the grommet. Is there a secret to getting everything into place in
one operation? I can't see up into the housing far enough to align the
tube visually, and I haven't figured out a way to hold the tube in a
fixed location long enough to mate the pieces.

Thanks in advance...

You make my problem sound wimpy! I only have 3 things going at once on
this motor. I'll try the jack and see if I can get any cooperation from
the water tube. How did the white grease keep your tubes from moving? I
didn't see anything up in there I could use to stabilize the tube. I
did think about looping a piece of fishing line around the tube and
trying to hold it in place with one hand while manipulating the lower
unit with another hand and turning the flywheel with another hand, but
that didn't work either.

Chehalis Jeff wrote:
I don't know if this will work for you or not, but while the outboard
was attached to the boat I used a floor jack to support the lower unit
(once I got the drive shaft in the right vicinity) to free up my hands
and I put a little spot of white grease on each tube to keep it from
sliding around while I slowly (...slowly...) jacked the lower unit up
while at the same time gently turning the prop to line up the splines
and (my OB has an electronic shift so there are wires the go down into
the lower unit) fish wires back up into the power head and line up the
water tubes. The manual says it's a 2 or 3 man job but I was able to
juggle it all in not once but twice (2nd time was easier) after I
remembered that I forgot to torque the water pump bolts. \

Jeff



wingspan wrote:
I finally got the stuck bolt out of my 1976 Johnson 35's water pump
housing, replaced the impeller and started trying to put the lower unit
back in its place. The new snag is the copper water tube that has to go
into the grommet on top of the water pump housing. The copper tube
won't stay in one place long enough for me to persuade the drive shaft
into the power head, the shift linkage into the connector and the pipe
into the grommet. Is there a secret to getting everything into place in
one operation? I can't see up into the housing far enough to align the
tube visually, and I haven't figured out a way to hold the tube in a
fixed location long enough to mate the pieces.

Thanks in advance...

I figured your engine might be like mine... which has two little 4"
plastic guide tubes that connect upper and lower unit water lines
together. That's what I put the grease on so they would stay in place
(they slip over both the tube ends) and not slide down. You might try
doing something like that - find some short plastic tubes or hose (heat
resistant) that will slide over both ends of your water tubes and guide
them together.

Jeff


wingspan wrote:
You make my problem sound wimpy! I only have 3 things going at once on
this motor. I'll try the jack and see if I can get any cooperation from
the water tube. How did the white grease keep your tubes from moving? I
didn't see anything up in there I could use to stabilize the tube. I
did think about looping a piece of fishing line around the tube and
trying to hold it in place with one hand while manipulating the lower
unit with another hand and turning the flywheel with another hand, but
that didn't work either.

Chehalis Jeff wrote:
I don't know if this will work for you or not, but while the outboard
was attached to the boat I used a floor jack to support the lower unit
(once I got the drive shaft in the right vicinity) to free up my hands
and I put a little spot of white grease on each tube to keep it from
sliding around while I slowly (...slowly...) jacked the lower unit up
while at the same time gently turning the prop to line up the splines
and (my OB has an electronic shift so there are wires the go down into
the lower unit) fish wires back up into the power head and line up the
water tubes. The manual says it's a 2 or 3 man job but I was able to
juggle it all in not once but twice (2nd time was easier) after I
remembered that I forgot to torque the water pump bolts. \

Jeff



wingspan wrote:
I finally got the stuck bolt out of my 1976 Johnson 35's water pump
housing, replaced the impeller and started trying to put the lower unit
back in its place. The new snag is the copper water tube that has to go
into the grommet on top of the water pump housing. The copper tube
won't stay in one place long enough for me to persuade the drive shaft
into the power head, the shift linkage into the connector and the pipe
into the grommet. Is there a secret to getting everything into place in
one operation? I can't see up into the housing far enough to align the
tube visually, and I haven't figured out a way to hold the tube in a
fixed location long enough to mate the pieces.

Thanks in advance...

My 2 plastic tubes are slightly different lengths.
I was able to reach in with my finger & guide each one into place, onto
the copper tubes, then turned the flywheel to send em home.
I stuck them to the pump with a little RTV.

Hmmm... mine doesn't have any plastic tubes. Just the diagonal-cut
copper tube that's supposed to magically slip into the rubber grommet
on top of the water pump. It's not long enough to allow for aligning
before the lower unit is completely attached. I did use a dental mirror
and flashlight to look at the alignment yesterday afternoon, and I
figured out that if the leg of the motor is absolutely vertical the
tube hangs naturally near where it needs to be. I may yet take it apart
again and see if I can find something to make a tube guide for it, but
considering the proximity to the driveshaft there won't be any room for
error.

Airthug wrote:
My 2 plastic tubes are slightly different lengths.
I was able to reach in with my finger & guide each one into place, onto
the copper tubes, then turned the flywheel to send em home.
I stuck them to the pump with a little RTV.