www.iFourWinns.com

Yes that's the pivot housing and nope that's not gonna help any more than removing the bellows. Gimble bearing still in the way. There is no other way than the way I suggested. Either you soak it in Kroil and it comes out or you break out the Sawszall and pull the engine.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

PB Blaster is soaking away (sprayed it from the inside). With the pivot housing removed I was hoping to get a better grip on the universal joint so the slide hammer has something to grab onto.

Removing the pivot might help with getting a grip on the driveshaft; hopefully you can get the 2 hinge pins out (1/2" Allen bolts). On mine they came out pretty easily even with extensive salt water use. If PB doesn't get it to move try Kroil. If the hinge pins will not come out, before applying brute force, try removing the bellows, if you remove the exhaust bellows first, you can get the u joint bellow out with the pivot still on. Then, you will have access to the ends of the hinge pins in the inner edges of the pivot housing, and spray your Kroil etc there because you can get it in the threads. It may take a long 1/2" drive ratchet to get em out, if they have never been removed. When replacing all of this stuff, put OMC/Evinrude gasket sealer on the threads. It will seal out water and reduce corrosion and seizing. OMC/Evinrude triple guard grease on the joint between the pivot and upper drive housing. Gasket sealer on the threads for the mounting studs. Etc.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I took the pivot pins out/ removed the pivot housing every season (12 in total I think) that I had SX/ DPS drives, 1/2" internal hex on early ones, still a 1/2" internal hex on later ones even though it looks like a torx/ spline bolt. Very easy, made cleaning/ antfouling/ lubrication easier and also bellows/ checking replacement easier. No reason not to do it. ( I used a plastics injection moulding industry colloidal nickel product on the threads, never any sign of corrosion or galling).

I haven't done mine often because I was concerned about stressing the lower shift cable (different design on the Cobra vs the Volvo SX) but I figured out how to disconnect it at the engine bracket without throwing off the cable setting which is tricky to get right on the Cobra...so now will be doing it each season.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

This thread is the poster child for why you don't have an IO when boating in saltwater.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Well, I don't know if the OP is in a salt water area, but the drive was not off for at least 6 years, and that could be even longer. Unless it got a good coat of marine grease the last time it was off on the splines, it is entirely possible for it to corrode into the coupler even in freshwater given that much time. There was someone else here with a Volvo who had a similar problem (but it was corrosion between the drive and pivot housing) and was a freshwater boat. His was hard to get off but not this bad. I have seen this even happen with outboards that are neglected in salt water. Its neglect and lack of maintenance. Even if you have a perfect boat for salt water (shaft drive) if you don't maintain the cooling system and get a raw water leak spraying salt water around guess what, same thing. There are plenty of people running I/Os in my area successfully (even more on the South Shore of LI because of many shallow areas, making them preferred to shaft drives) but they are maintained. Any decent mechanic here is going to tell you to pull the drive each season. And its in all the maintenance manuals, Merc, OMC and Volvo.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Yep. Mine has never seen salt and probably never will (certainly not as long as I own it), but the drive is still pulled every year. It just isn't worth the risk.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I pull mine every year. Check alignment, clean and grease, etc.
It costs me about $7 for gaskets and $2? worth of grease. Takes me around 1-2 hours including prep time (and I'm pretty slow and methodical). No reason to skip it.

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-Andrew

1984 Four Winns 225 Sundowner
5.0L Mercruiser, Alpha 1

Mine will see salt water tomorrow. I can't wait!

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Salt water is not the devil...it is fresh water that causes the worst damage to wood cored boats--
Fresh water-->rot
Salt water-->pickles wood

Id advise anyone with a wood cored boat to be mindful of where water gets in and collects and to try to eliminate all sources of standing water that collects in the same spot. And NO CARPET in wood cored boats!!!!!!

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

There's nothing like being on a body of water so big that you can head out 15 miles and see nothing but water in all directions, and your depth finder can no longer see the bottom.

Back to the original topic: I suspect that the OP's drive had NEVER been removed by the previous owner since the boat was new (16 years ago).

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Didn't mean to disparage saltwater boating, just agreeing that drives need pulled under the best of circumstances.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I'm in Belle Haven, VA (Alexandria) on the Potomac River. The boat was on the Severn before I got it. It was trailered when I got it but the previous owner has a dock so it may have spent some time sitting in the water.

But yea, I'm pretty sure it's just never been pulled, or a very long time ago at best.

I couldn't get the pivot housing out last night. The rain didn't help. Now I've got the pivot housing stuck kinda sideways in the piece it was attached to (is this the gimbal ring?).

Starting to strongly consider the reciprocating saw. Hate to buy a new universal joint if the old one could be salvaged but this can't go on forever!

Were the hinge pins seized in there?
If so remove both bellows and then you can get at the inside were the threads for the hinge pins are. Use Kroil better than PB Blaster. May have to use a little heat on the housing.
This is why Evinrude Gasket Sealer and Triple Guard Grease are worth their weight on gold...

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II