Mercury 200XL Verado Shift Shaft Seals Replacement
If you’ve removed the lower unit from your outboard, go ahead and replace the oil seals while you’re at it.
Replacing the shift shaft seals is pretty straightforward. Follow the steps below and watch the video above to replace the shift shaft seals on a Mercury 200 outboard engine.
NOTE: We worked on a Mercury 200XL Verado, but the steps are the same or similar for most outboard motors.
Tools and Parts Needed – Mercury 200 Shift Shaft Seal Repair
Tools
- Ratchet
- 10mm, 13mm sockets
- Pick tool
NOTE: You can buy the shift shaft seals individually, but the seal kit includes all the seals, gaskets and O-rings you’ll need for both the driveshaft and the prop shaft.
How to Replace Mercury 200XL Verado Shift Shaft Seals
Before you can replace the shift shaft seals, you have to remove the lower unit from your outboard. Watch the video below to see how to get that done.
Step 1. Remove the four 10mm bolts securing the shift shaft cover, followed by the cover itself.
Step 2. Remove the O-ring from the shift shaft housing in the lower unit.
Step 3. Remove the gasket from the underside of the shift shaft cover, and the rubber washer and oil seal from the upper side of the shift shaft cover.
NOTE: Be careful not to damage the shift shaft cover as you remove the washer and oil seal.
Watch the clip below to see the seal removal segment of our Mercury 200XL Verado Shift Shaft Seal Replacement video.
Step 4. Thoroughly clean the shift shaft cover and the rubber washer.
Step 5. Install the new oil seal (included in the lower unit seal kit) into the shift shaft cover.
PRO TIP: A 13mm socket is the perfect size to fit over the oil seal, so you can press it down until it bottoms out in the shift shaft cover.
Step 6. Install the new O-ring (included in the lower unit seal kit) onto the shift shaft cover.
Step 7. Grease the oil seal and O-ring with 2-4-C marine grease.
Step 8. Clean the lower unit and install the new gasket (included in the lower unit seal kit).
Step 9. Reinstall the shift shaft cover onto the lower unit.
Step 10. Apply 2-4-C grease to the top of the shift shaft oil seal, then reinstall the rubber washer over the oil seal.
Step 11. Reinstall the four 10mm bolts, and tighten the shift shaft housing onto the lower unit.
Watch the clip below to see the seal installation segment of our Mercury 200XL Verado Shift Shaft Seals Replacement video.
Whenever you’re ready to reinstall the lower unit onto the outboard, watch the Mercury 200 lower unit installation video below to get it done.
