Propshaft Seal

[njthumper]

I'm relatively new to outboards. I purchased a CLE from someone on the board. When I tryed it, it would go into forward, neutral, and reverse, but if shut down in gear, it would not rachet. When trying to get it to rachet it would pop out of gear. On closer inspection the outside seal did not look right to me. I returned it for seller's inspection and when I talked to his mechanic he said that it was a 'weed cutter seal'. I never heard of that. Is it for real? I've attched pics.

[Capt.Insane-o]

looks fine to me, and you have a non ratcheting lower there.

[pyro]

Usually the inner seal is installed open-side IN, and the outer seal (the visible one) is usually installed backwards, open-side out. That's the only odd thing I see there.

Or do they put them in the CLE's this way?

[njthumper]

Here's a picture of my LH. Notice how different the seal looks. Also, the shift shaft only moves 30 degress in either direction from neutral. Wouldn't this indicate an E-Z shift racheting lower?

[pyro]

Hard to tell, but is the outer seal missing?

[TheRickster]

Purhaps the prop shaft had some light grooving from the seal lips so they put the seals in opposite so they would be riding on virgin shaft...

Rick

[pyro]

Damn, I should have thought of that when I put seals back in mine. My shaft is a little tore up from a disintegrated seal rim spring. Oh well, selling it this winter for somebody to rebuild anyway.

[njthumper]

Back to the beginning. Has anybody ever heard of a weed cutter seal? What do you think is going on here?

[pyro]

You're not going to easily get an answer to your question. The title of this thread doesn't (likely) relate to the shifting problem you're experiencing. just trying to help...

[Capt.Insane-o]

Back to the beginning. Has anybody ever heard of a weed cutter seal? What do you think is going on here?

Actually it's a line cutter seal, and that there is one of them, the other lower has another type of seal installed in it.

[njthumper]

Here's the deal - if the seal is wrong - bad. Why should it shift right?

[Capt.Insane-o]

It's not the wrong seal, it's just another type. And I don't quite get the shifting question, it shifts fine running? But the prop does'nt ratchet? Which is conclusive of a non ratcheting lower.

[lightspeed]

Ron Yes It Is Called A Weed Cutter Seal //Thats OK Its Actually A Better Seal////////////////

[TEXAS20225]

a lot of the late model merc stuff is non ratchet gears and they have a small forward gear bearing im not sure you can put them in a cle. the cle has the exact same big forward bearing as all the rest of the 43/4 dia case's sporty torqmaster and a zillion others. It looks like your case has a rear drain which makes it more mysterious . as for the seal the very early preroads had the same metal seal on the outside of it as well as some mercruiser stuff i just put one in a few days ago its not the wrong seal just a differant style , I dont think ive ever heard them called weed cutters though but that does not make it not so on my part:D . that is a strange deal on your case i wish you were close id talk you in to letting me tear it down just to look inside( no charge of course):D