Pulling outdrive

[Randygh]

I purchased my boat 4 years ago. I've put about 150 hours on the engine. The outdrive was pulled, serviced and had new bellows installed when purchased. My boat is stored on the trailer and the rubber bellows look like new. I was told by a boat mechanic I should have the outdrive pulled and have a universal greased. I change the outdrive oil yearly. Is it time to take the boat to a mechanic and have the outdrive pulled, greased and install a new bellows?

[boat_dr]

I will assume you have a Mercruiser Alpha I drive.
Put drive in forward gear,
With drive all the way down, raise or lower tongue to put drive close to ground,
Remove lift rams at back of drive and remove pin,
Remove six nuts and the drive will come right off.

[SomeSailor]

Is it time to take the boat to a mechanic and have the outdrive pulled, greased and install a new bellows?

It's a piece of cake Randy. You really can't screw it up. Good time to swap the impeller and grease her up.

It's one of the easier things you can do with your boat and a few combination wrenches. Pretty cheap too. The whole thing should cost you $50-$75 in parts and grease.

[wickus]

I r and r'd 3 BII outdrives this week. A friend and I do it every year. for the cost of a $7 gasket kit and some grease, it's pretty cheap insurance to have a look in there every year. It's a p.o. cake with two people, but I've done it by myself 6 or so times.
The key, imho, is to make sure the OD is at the right level. the skeg should just be touching the ground with the trim rams off. Do unto the outdrive as it likes to be done unto is the key. If things line up naturally, it is a cake walk.

[Randygh]

I should have mentioned that my outdrive is a VP 280 converted single to DP. Looks to me like it might be a real PITA to remove the outdrive. Does it take special tools?

[SomeSailor]

Oops. I read Merc Alpha and went down that road. Do you have a grease zirc for the spline on that one?

My Bravo has a fitting that will grease that. I don't think it should be any harder to R&R a drive though. Pretty simple devices (installation at least).

[Chass]

I should have mentioned that my outdrive is a VP 280 converted single to DP. Looks to me like it might be a real PITA to remove the outdrive. Does it take special tools?

I wouldn't say its a cakewalk but Its something you can do at home if you have any mechanical ability. I just pulled two, rebuilt one and installed the whole deal.

However, I'm not sure what he means by having the universal greased. On the two that I have, the needle bearings are sealed and there are no zerks. The only way to grease them is to disassemble the universal. That requires removing the tranny from the top of the drive and partially disassembling it. I have my driveline shop change universals for me. You'll need some gaskets and a gasket kit is about $90. You can do all this without removing the entire drive. In fact, I think its easier to install the drive first and then the tranny later so I would question what the mechanic told you . . . If you were going this far, you might as well just replace the crosses. They are only $35 or so each.

Whether or not this is necessary at your time, I don't know . . .

Chass
ct

[SomeSailor]

Hmmm.... gotta get a look at a Volvo one day. Mercs have grease zerks on the universal joints, and on the gimbal ring for the gimbal bearing. Pulling the drive, you can get to them all and you can do it single-handed in an hour or two.

Maybe your mechanic will let you watch Randy?

[Randygh]

When I spoke with the mechanic last week, he didn't say if there is a zerk on the universal. I'm going to do some online investigation to see about pulling the outdrive myself. I want to look at a schematic to see what is inside the bellows. If it looks impossible, I'll watch the mechanic do it. More coming later. Too darn cold to work on it right now.

[boat_dr]

I don't know if "Rick" is part of this forum but if you ping him on BOC he can show you some really good diagrams.

[wickus]

see one, do one, teach one.
Good advice on outdrives. Gene was nice enough to visit my burg years ago to walk me through a good service technique. I've done a few and taught a few.
That was a good day. Puget Mike, Chef Harry and HeyMagic, drinks and dinner. I lured Gene here for the price of a hotel, but I got 100 times that in value.
good times.

[Chass]

When I spoke with the mechanic last week, he didn't say if there is a zerk on the universal. I'm going to do some online investigation to see about pulling the outdrive myself. I want to look at a schematic to see what is inside the bellows. If it looks impossible, I'll watch the mechanic do it. More coming later. Too darn cold to work on it right now.

There are no big secrets about pulling the outdrive. Its pretty much what you see is what you get.

Inside the bellows is your universal and shaft. The universal has splines that slid over the intermediate shaft. When you pull the outdrive or tranny it just slips off. Slips right back on for install.

I didn't have any books when I removed mine. It comes off really easy. I borrowed a book later but only used it for the complete reseal of the outdrive . . . it really is intuitive.

Chass
ct

[Randygh]

I took my boat to a mechanic this AM and watched him pull the outdrive. The fellow knew what he was doing and the job was done in 2.5 hrs. The bellows over the universal was dry inside and the universal looked like new. Two zerks greased well. It was reassuring to see that everything came apart very easily, no seized bolts and good for another 3-4 years. Pulling the outdrive wasn't complicated, but the mechanic had all the proper tools and a hydraulic lift. It was money very well spent. I'll fill the outdrive with new Royal Purple 30 wt oil tonight.

[pnw0411]

It's a piece of cake Randy. You really can't screw it up. Good time to swap the impeller and grease her up.

It's one of the easier things you can do with your boat and a few combination wrenches. Pretty cheap too. The whole thing should cost you $50-$75 in parts and grease.
Hello Mike,
I'm just now getting around to changing the impeller on my Alpha One Gen 2. If I understand this thread I can lower the outdrive,take of the lift rams, remove the mounting bolts and the whole outdrive will come off as one piece. This seems like a good thing to do as it allows you to look into the bellows. Is that true? I just don't want to mess with the bellows at all right now. I have the water pump kit to replace all those parts. I had always planned on splitting the leg leaving the upper on the boat. If I remove the entire leg do I need any other parts?

[SomeSailor]

Yep. The drive will come right off. It's an easy way to see what kind of shape the gimbal bearing and bellows are in. You can then take the drive indoors and then split it to upper/lower and change the pump assy.

[2859er]

I don't know about the alpha's, but on the Bravo2's it is a good idea to drain the gear oil before you remove the outdrive, or it can be quite a mess.

Guess how I found out. :shock:

[SomeSailor]

I don't know about the alpha's, but on the Bravo2's it is a good idea to drain the gear oil before you remove the outdrive, or it can be quite a mess.

Guess how I found out. :shock:

They shouldn't leak once the drive is off... there's a one-way valve that keeps the drive fluid in the lines once the drive is removed.

[2859er]

Yeah, but on mine to get the drive off you have to pull the back cover to get the shift cable off. When I pulled that cover off, I got covered, in gear oil. So I guess you could let enough gear oil out to drop the level below the back cover plate, then remove the drive.

But it may all be different on an Alpha, I have no experience with them.

[SomeSailor]

You just didn't get the shift cable disconnected. If you grab it with a pair of needle nose pliers... it should disengage the pawl and the shift cable will come out. Normally, it won't leak much. Taking the back plate off isn't a normal thing.

[pnw0411]

Yep. The drive will come right off. It's an easy way to see what kind of shape the gimbal bearing and bellows are in. You can then take the drive indoors and then split it to upper/lower and change the pump assy.

Thanks Mike. Will I need any other parts by detaching the entire drive such as gaskets or seals. Obviously anything other then what comes with the pump kit.

[2859er]

You just didn't get the shift cable disconnected. If you grab it with a pair of needle nose pliers... it should disengage the pawl and the shift cable will come out. Normally, it won't leak much. Taking the back plate off isn't a normal thing.

OK, so when I remove the drive next time instead of pulling the back plate off I will back the drive off of the mounting studs until I can stick some pliers betwen the drive and the transom assembly and release the shift cable. Is that right?

Thanks,

Always learning.

Greg

[SomeSailor]

Hmmm.... when the bolts come loose, and the drive moves back, the pawl should let go. You don't need to have a Bravo in forward like an Alpha. Maybe the pawl stayed engaged?

[2859er]

Yeah, it must have or I wouldn't have needed to open up the back plate.

Another adventure for next time I pull the drive.

Thanks