Water pump replacement... In gear or in neutral

[DucksnBobs]

2008 Optimax 150 Hp
Serial #: 1B539103

Time to service the old motor. I might actually get to use it this year. I have all the stuff on order. Serpentine belt, new spark plugs, new water filter, going to clean the strainer and then I get the lovely task of pulling the lower unit and replacing the water impellar. I know silverfox sticky says to be in neutral. Mind you, I have done this job 1 time and it was like 2-3 years ago (I know, I know, I waited too long). I have a faint memory of struggling to get the lower put back on the unit and had to put it in gear to get it slide back in. Am I making stuff up in my head or do some people put it in gear to get the lower back on? I know the mechanic who told me to do this also showed me a way of ensuring that forward and reverse were not flipped. I am going to try the neutral way first, but I am already dreading put the lower unit back on because I remember how much of a pain it was the first and only time I did this job.

[JOE54]

..................... N ...........................

[DucksnBobs]

Gonna end up with a motor in 2 pieces again and pray to the heavens it goes back together some how miraculously..... Ill be back when it wont go together lol.

Thanks Joe, knew I could count on you sir.

[EuropeanAM]

Hey... I'm Neutral on this topic, too.

[DucksnBobs]

Hey... I'm Neutral on this topic, too.

Neutral it is. Be there for me when it comes time to put it all back together. No idea what happened the first time around but I know I am nervous to get this done, but it has to be done so lets see how much trouble I get in.

Thanks guys, hopefully this weekend or the next Ill get it all done.

[SilverFox579]

+3, step by step for the 2.5L Optimax water pump is in the FAQ - Water Pump Replacement

[JOE54]

[DucksnBobs]

+3, step by step for the 2.5L Optimax water pump is in the FAQ - Water Pump Replacement

Yessir, thank you so much for that sticky and the refresher my brain needed. Only thing I questioned was neutral vs being in gear. Again, I couldnt remember if I was making it up in my head or not. Figured I would reach out to you all who know 100x more than I do about these kinds of things. Again, thank you all for the responses, if all goes well I will get it done this weekend. In all reality, I will more than likely get it done a week from this saturday.

[DucksnBobs]

Job is done, didnt go back on like butter, I just suck at getting this right. The actual job is easy, putting the lower back on the motor.... lots of cursing, bruised arms from taking the lower on and on and off... but its done.

Weird question though, I went through pretty much everything that was easy. Spent about 2-3 hours just doing a full service on the motor. I found that my fuel line coming out of the bulb was pretty loose. After I replaced the water/separating fuel filter, I went to pump the bulb hard, it just started pissing, ever so little, amount of fuel everywhere. Of course, I wasnt paying attention, I was just squeezing the bulb over and over, carrying on a conversation looking away, and it just wasn't getting hard. Then I look down and I have fuel everywhere and realized the connection was loose. Tightened it up and the bulb firmed right up with 0 issues. Hypothetically, what kind of issues could a leaky fuel line like this cause? Any at all?

[SilverFox579]

Hypothetically, what kind of issues could a leaky fuel line like this cause? Any at all?

Fire and/or explosion.

[SilverFox579]

Hypothetically, what kind of issues could a leaky fuel line like this cause? Any at all?

Fire and/or explosion.

I, too, struggle a little reinstalling the lower unit by myself and at times wish I had a 3rd hand.

[EuropeanAM]

Fire and/or explosion.

+3

Additionally, it can result in an air leak, meaning that the fuel pump can't supply fuel correctly because it's receiving AIR where it should only receive LIQUID FUEL. Depending on the severity of the leak it could result in anything from poor performance to "it just dies and won't restart".