Dear Dcso, Removing the engine looks fairly simple. Just a few pointers, remove the shift linkage from the SB manifold as an assembly!( four 1/4 inch bolts with 7/16" heads. if you disassemble this unit, their aren't six people in upstate Ny who can properly adjust these units! Remove the large nuts(1 1/8 or 1 1/4 inch hex) from the front mounts and do not disturb the lower nut. (Engine alignment reasons!) Remove the rear mount bolts(5/8 hex) and note the order of the bolt/sleeve/double wound spring) assembly so you know how to reassemble these two mounts. These have to be torqued properly upon reassembly. You will need an alignment shaft to properly align the engine to the drive housing upon reinstallation. ..Now the kicker....former owner left spark plugs out? My years of experience tells me that the former owner was looking for something! I think they found water in the wrong places! If you tackle this job, buy a Mercruiser Service Manual for your model and year. It will answer a lot of questions that come up. Your old drive unit will have many age related problems with the U-Joint bellows & gimbal ring bearing. I am glad you got this unit for short dollars. It will take some $$ and manual labor to bring this engine & drive up to usable status. Do the math on what the parts are going to cost before you tackle this project. ....Jet Boat Bill
