Johnson 6HP Outboard Water Pump Rebuild

The first thing you should do after buying a second-hand outboard is replace the water pump impeller. 

A water pump failure can burn out the motor completely. Whether the outboard is just a year or 40 years old, make changing out the water pump's impeller a priority. This guide walks you through replacing the impeller and rebuilding the water pump on a 1978 Johnson 6HP 6R78B outboard. Watch the video above and follow the steps below to learn how to rebuild an outboard motor's water pump.

Tools and Parts - Johnson 6HP Water Pump Rebuild

• Ratchet and extension
• 10mm socket
• Flathead screwdriver
• Pliers

• Water pump repair kit
• Marine grease
• Anti-seize lube

Disassembling a Johnson 6HP Outboard Water Pump

Step 1. Put the outboard in the forward gear position, then remove the four 10mm bolts holding the lower casing/gear casing in place. Prevent the casing from sliding down as you remove the last 10mm bolt.

Step 2. Lower the gear casing by a couple of inches, then loosen the 10mm bolt that connects the shift shaft between the upper and lower casings.

NOTE: The bolt has a notch in its head so it can be loosened with a flathead screwdriver.

Step 3. Rotate the lower unit as you pull it down to disengage the shift shaft. Next, remove the lower casing completely.

Step 4. Remove the four screws or bolts from the water pump housing.

PRO TIP: If the water pump still has the original screws, shock them before trying to loosen them. To shock the screws, place a screwdriver on them and hit the screwdriver with a hammer. Shocking the screws helps to break them loose and reduces the chance of them shearing off in the gear casing.

Step 5. Gently pry the water pump housing up and off the gear casing using a flathead screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the mating surfaces of the lower casing.

Step 6. Slide the impeller off the input shaft if it didn't come off with the housing.

Step 7. Remove the woodruff key from the input shaft, and slide the impeller housing plate off the shaft.

Rebuilding a Johnson 6HP Outboard Water Pump

Step 1. Install the new impeller housing plate (included in the water pump repair kit), making sure the small tab on the plate is pointing upward.

Step 2. Install the new water pump gasket (included in the kit) and tap the new woodruff key (also included) into place in the input shaft.

Step 3. Grease the inside of the metal impeller cup (included in the kit), and press the impeller into the cup while rotating it clockwise so that the impeller's blades are twisted the correct way once it's in the cup. 

Step 4. Install the new impeller and cup back onto the input shaft, making sure to line up the notch in the impeller with the woodruff key.

Step 5. Rotate the input shaft so the fin on the cup lines up with the cutout in the gasket.

Step 6. Install the new water pump housing (included in the kit), then apply anti-seize lube to the four new water pump housing bolts (included in the kit) and tighten the bolts.

Step 7. Grease the new water tube grommet (included in the kit) and install it into the water pump housing. Make sure the two pegs on the grommet are seated in the two holes in the housing.

Step 8. Grease the splines at the top of the input shaft and grease the inside of the water tube grommet.

Step 9. Make sure the gear shift linkage is fully up. To do this, grip it with a pair of pliers and gently pull it upward.

Step 10. Slide the lower casing back onto the outboard, making sure the input shaft slides back into the powerhead; the water pump housing engages with the water pipe; and the shift linkage engages with the shift shaft.

Step 11. Tighten the shift shaft bolt, and reattach the gear casing back up to the upper casing with the four 10mm bolts. Apply anti-seize to the 10mm bolts before reinstalling them and you're done.