2006 F40 noise

I have a 2006 F40 fourstroke tiller with 90 hours. Last week it started making a squeeling noise like a dry bearing when I start it cold and try to rev it a little. If I shut it off and restart it, the noise may go away, or it may take 2 0r 3 times turning it off and on for the noise to stop. It sounds like it is in the mid section. It sounds like a dry drive shaft upper bearing or maybe a water pump? The lower unit is full and the oil is clean. The noise goes away for the rest of the day after it stops. Has anyone had this problem?

[boats.net]

Try removing lower unit and apply grease to drive shaft splines and seal area just below splines to see if noise goes away.

Thanks. I am going to put a new water pump impeller in it and I'll grease the splines then. I never would have thought of that because I have always greased the splines when I put a lower unit on and assumed the factory would have done so too. It sure sounds like where the noise is coming from.

I pulled the lower unit today and found the source of the noise. There is a nylon bushing in the middle of the center section and the drive shaft goes right through it. The shaft was very shiny where it rides in the bushing. I sanded the surface rust off the rest of the shaft and greased the splines and the whole shaft with a liitle extra on the shiny spot. Noise gone.