Thread: Lower Unit replacement

So I called the mechanic today after I removed the plug on the lower and it was covered in metal shavings. First thing he said was, that's not got anything to do with what I did to it. I have a semi trailer shop and we deal with lots of hydraulics and gear boxes too. If somebody has trouble with something we've worked on, I get them to bring it back, I go through it and I honestly determine whether we messed up something or not. If we did, I fix it on my dime. I guess I'm foolish expecting the same thing from others. I don't have an hour gauge on my boat but I'd estimate that I have put less than 10 hours on the boat since he repaired the bent prop shaft and was supposed to go through the lower and check it out.

Maybe it's his fault, maybe it's not, but he handled it in a very unbusinesslike manner and could have at least looked at it before he declared it wasn't his fault. Between two boats, last fall, I spent between $1500-$2000 at his shop. I'll never spend another dime there.

This is what I found when I removed the drain plug on the lower unit:

OUCH !!

From reading over the years on many forums concerning the aftermarket lower units (The brand is SEI) the general consensus was that the units generally worked great for the smaller motors under about 150-175 hp and a lot more questionable for the larger motors.

One thing that was agreed upon across the board was that to not have problems that following the break in procedure included with the aftermarket lower unit was not optional but a very critical and important requirement. It was speculated that the metals used needed some type of "work hardening" and the proper break in procedure allowed this to be done correctly. Doing the break in for a bit but not completing it and saying good enough was a recipe for lower unit failures.

Also the consensus is that the aftermarket units were NOT recommended for use in salt water due to a much lower corrosion resistance as compared to OEM.

The company was supposed to be very good at honoring warranty claims as well.


What I have written here is from reading multiple threads on multiple forums concerning the aftermarket lower units and should be taken as such.

If this motor in this thread was mine I would probably go the aftermarket lower route, get my boat back on the water quickly and follow all break in procedures to the "T" and then later have the failed OEM unit pulled down and inspected and if reasonable repaired and kept for a spare.

That is just my opinion and everyone looks at things in a different way.

Further thinking about the situation this motor owner is in and the available options to repair his motor one thing that has not really brought up is the possibility of finding a good lower unit unit off of a damaged engine to purchase.

Then he gets OEM quality at probably a much more attractive price than even the aftermarket lower and will not have the break in to deal with. Granted a warranty may be only 30-90 days from a reputable salvage yard but dealing with a place that has a good reputation can lessen the concerns if there was a problem.

With the amount of extreme weather that has hit our nation over the last few years and major flooding in many parts of the country I am sure the market has a lot of insurance claimed motors that were damaged in the storms or totally submerged in the floods ruining the powerhead and electronics but as long as it was fresh water the lower unit would be fine. It lives its life in an underwater environment.

Just wanted to throw out another option for the OP to consider. This may be by a long shot in dollars required the least expensive and best option overall depending on being able to find a good used lower off a damaged powerhead motor.