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A friend gave me this motor yesterday and said it runs fine but will not push the boat forward or reverse. I put it in my tank and it does start right up and run great. Gears shift just as they should and the prop spins. I suspected the shear pin but it is fine. I drained the LU oil and it too was clean.

Trying to diagnose the issue and need some help here. The prop spins free in Neutral and when I put it in gear, F or R I can also spin the prop with no movement in the engine.
I expected that once it is in gear the shaft from engine to prop should not allow the prop to turn with out also moving the pistons and fly wheel. I don't know if that is a correct assumption or not.

Is there a clutch of some sort in there? Could I have a shaft spline that is disconnected?

In the tank I can see the prop spin but I do believe under any kind of real pressure the prop will slip. What could be going on? I can easily spin the LU output shaft by hand when the engine is in gear. The prop is fine as is the shear pin and the oil came out very clean with no sign of water or steel/aluminum shavings.

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you probably have a broken driveshaft between the powerhead and the lower unit. does it pump water?

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Water pump is pumping fine. Just no power under pressure to the prop. I am thinking the drive shaft splines could be stripped or some other issue and will rip into it this week to do some inspecting.

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have you checked for a stripped hub in the prop? http://www.boats.net/parts/search/BRP/JOHNSON/1987/J4RDHLCUD/GEARCASE/parts.html

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As I said, "The prop is fine". I can spin the LU output shaft by hand with the motor in gear and the prop off. The problem is internal and either in the gears of the lower unit or the vertical drive shaft.

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Mystery found! The drive shaft, 30.5 inches long is broken right below the impeller where it goes in to the LU gear case. Not too sure at this point it is even worth repairing. Off to see what the parts will cost.

Update, Anyone know where I might find the shaft for this motor?

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Find the part number on http://epc.brp.com. Then put the part number in an ebay watch list that emails you daily with new listings. Also create another watch search using keywords. I bet a used one pops up in the next six months ... in time for the start of next boating season in NY.

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That is the problem. They don't show a part number for the shaft I need. The two pieces of shaft I removed measure 30 1/2 inches long and they don't list this length of a shaft at all.

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if it is a 20" housing it should be a 0330435 f it is a 15" housing it should be a 0330434

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/BRP/JOHNSON/1987/J4RDHLCUD/GEARCASE/parts.html

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Yes, the driveshaft for a LONG model is BRP # 0330435 with a list price of $184, but it is no longer available from BRP.

You can probably find one by calling a dealer of obsolete parts; it is pretty easy to do. Just Google the part number and you'll see it listed by any number of vendors with a notation to "CALL US" in stead of being listed as available.

Call them on the phone, they'll do a computer search of their parts network and find one somewhere. You will pay more than the list price, though, because it its increasing scarcity.

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A note: Do not confuse "shaft length" of the outboard, which is the simply the nominal height of the transom that the motor is designed to fit, with the actual length of the Drive Shaft itself which will always be significantly greater.

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Thank you again Tom. That is probably what I am doing with this part. They list # 0330435 as being 20 inches but that is probably the length of the housing and the shaft itself is 30 1/2 inches long.