TOPIC: Tearing down my Mark78A

First I haven't done so much knuckle busting since my jet mech days in the Navy. What's the trick for getting the flywheel nut off? Also whats the procedure for taking the lower end off? already have prop off and all the bolts around the bottom.Already have carbs and linkage off, wiring harness and distributor out and fuel pumps off as well. BTW this is the first time I've ever attemted to wok on an outboard!!! I'm pretty good at takin' stuff apart...LOL

Impact gun is invaluable for stubborn flywheel nuts and prop nuts. Not for smaller nuts and bolts. The nut has been on there a long time and it was probably over torqued in the first place.

Joe, it doesn't hurt to soak the threads with a little wd-40, liquid wrench, PB Blaster, or whatever for a while too. After I did the first one by hand, with vise-grips holding the flywheel, Dave is right, I went out and bought an impact! Made the flywheel puller much easier to use as well.

use a strap wrench to hold the flywheel not a vise grip.

You're so right Dave B, a strap wrench would be much safer. (Didn't know they made them that big.) I was leery about messing up the ring gear with the vise grips, but was lucky and got away with that time. Sometimes we use what we have on hand to get the job done, ya know!? Not a recommended practice for sure. If memory serves me correctly, I threaded the puller bolts into the holes and used some bar stock to hold it while torquing the nut back down to spec's when re-assembling.

This was quite some time ago before I learned to ask for advise before tackling a project for the first time. Live and learn....