Questions about verado style lower

[homsie]

250 pro xs 1B766397 We have a verado style lower that I was changing the gear oil on and noticed very fine metal particles of metal in it's almost dust like and hard to see without shining a light into .I put a magnet in a zip lock bag and ran through slowly and nothing was stuck to it so it has me thinking aluminum but can't imagine the source .The fluid looked like brand new otherwise. I also notice or am curious about how easy you should be able to turn the prop shaft without the prop on it feels like when you turn the shaft slow that it is dropping into a detent every 1/8 of a turn or so I was thinking shift cable adjustment .After playing with the shifter a bit moving slightly forward and back from neutral it feels the same I disconnected the shift cable and you can rotate the shaft and push or pull the slide and the detent feeling doesn't change until you push or pull it far enough that you can feel the clutch dogs starting to engage and make noise . I know these lowers turn a little tighter and the prop doesn't really free wheel when spun like some do but am just wondering what normal should feel like .I have to grab the splines in my fist to turn it should you be able to spin it using your finger tips? Should it turn smoothly with the only feeling being bearings ?The motor ran fine and shifted without any issues or noise last year we are just getting ready for this year and noticed this. We are running mercury high performance gear lube in it.

[lpugh]

Sounds abnormal to me, get it checked out by a pro

[JOE54]

^^^^^^ +1 get that checked should be smooth but has preloaded bearings will not spin freely has some drag

[homsie]

Thanks Leon and Joe I suspected that would be the answer .Will dig into it and see what's going on

[JOE54]

[EuropeanAM]

Probably have some flat-spotted or damaged bearings on the propshaft or in the carrier.

[homsie]

Thank you Don I think you are on the right track with your thoughts I pulled the carrier out yesterday and the only thing I can see there is the face of the inner race on the tapered bearing has a very shiny ring where it rides against the spacer it has worn half of the identification engraving off as if it might be spinning against the spacer some how. The prop shaft does have a strange feel to it now if you center it and spin it slowly with the carrier removed . I have the lower ready to come out and once it is in a stand I can pull the drive shaft and prop shaft out for a look at the bearings in front of the forward gear . What would cause the bearing issues would it be preload related we did have the carrier out last year and replaced the prop shaft seals I can't remember what the face of the tapered bearing looked like then the carrier nut was torgued to 210 ft lbs when reinstalled . Thanks again for your help the time and effort you and others put in here is greatly appreciated I have learned a lot reading here .

[EuropeanAM]

Perhaps a bearing had already failed, OR some debris ended up in a bearing, or between spacer and shims, resulting in too much preload on bearings.