Tight, hard to move mid section

[rickey2]

Has anyone ever experience this, older bridgeport, that is just about froze, after i mounted it to the boat i had to take a 5' pipe over the prop shaft,to turn the motor back and forth, and it was about all i could do to move it with the cheater bar, any suggestions on how to loosen something like that up?? help!

[jphii]

I hate to say this but you shouldn't have done that. Chances are you bent your prop shaft.

[flabum1017]

The steering swivel pin is siezed from crrosion.

The cheater way: Put lifting eye on engine, lift with about 100 lbs of force. Take an Oxy/Acet torch and heat the swivel bracket top and bottom to melt the bushings a little bit, swing motor side to side until loose and grease it with a grease gun before it cools.

The right way: Pull lower unit, poerhead and motor mounts. Disassemble swivel housing and pull steering pin. Replace the bushings and all other badly rusted parts. Clean corrosion out of swivel housing and reassemble motor



Then: Replace the propshaft.