Patent ID: 7494392

Claim:
An outboard motor comprising: a power head driving a rotary output assembly; a vertical drive shaft having an upper end coupled to the rotary output assembly; a lower unit having a water pump and a horizontal propeller shaft; a tubular passage in fluid connection at a first end with the water pump and at a second end with the power head for cooling the power head; a gear assembly rotatably connecting a lower end of the drive shaft to the propeller shaft; at least one mid-section housing member, through which the drive shaft passes, connecting the power head to the lower unit; the drive shaft being supported at its upper and lower ends by power head and lower unit rotary bearings; a mid-section rotary bearing supporting the drive shaft intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; the mid-section rotary bearing mounted in a bearing assembly cooled by water through a tubular fluid connection to the tubular passage; and the bearing assembly being mounted in one of the at least one mid-section housing member.