Hello everyone,
I noticed my neighbour struggling to pull over his 14 year old manual start Mariner 40HP outboard. He thought the powerhead might be seized. I suggested that he should check the water pump first since he hasn't used the motor for some months. I gave him a hand to pull the bottom leg off. It became apparent the problem wasn't the water pump but something like a 100mm long rubber seal half way up the shaft inside the shaft casing. The shaft was extremely hard to pull through this seal. It seems like the rubber has expanded and gripped the shaft. He put some waterproof grease on the shaft and re-installed it. He was then able to start the motor. He tried it again the next day and it was tight but he was able to start the motor and it freed up again. In hindsight maybe greasing the shaft may not have been a good idea as the grease may increase the swelling of the rubber. He would like to know the purpose of this piece of rubber and how hard is it to replace it if necesary.
Regards,
BillB