Edit 1. I am done. Many thanks to all who helped out. I will add my follow on thoughts in this post
Original post with answers to questions in itallics....
I'm an automotive mechanic, but a first time boat owner. Working on a 1992 Arriva, 21 foot, bow rider ski boat with a Mercruiser Alpha One behind a Mercruiser 5.7L
I have watched several Youtube video and think I can handle the job - from a skills standpoint. With Youtube and Amazon, anything is possible. haha.
If you all wouldn't mind helping with the following questions, I'd appreciate it.
Outdrive Serial Number 0D757100 So it's an Alpha 1 Gen 2
1) Brands of kits. Should I order Mercruiser or is a particular off-brand just as good?
Amazon bellows kit
Answer: Mercruiser = Quicksilver = a great kit. I was told Sierra is a close 2nd, but if you are a novice and doing this yourself to safe money, youc an splurge for the Merruiser kit and still be ahead. I paid $188 and got it from Michigan Motorz.
2) With it being an alpha one should I order the impeller?
Answer: I did order the water impeller, but I did not install it. For three reasons: 1) The engine cools well. 2) If your boat's exhaust goes through the bellows and out the out-drive, then the heat from it causes short life spans for the impella. My boat has through hull exhaust. 3) The out drive oil drained out a very nice color, so I didn't want to introduce a new problem. Pulling the outdrive at a later date is an additional 15 minutes of work for me now. no biggy.
3) Gimbal bearing install. Can I smack it in with a 2x4?
Answer: I should have ordered the bearing driver with my alignment tool. The bearing center protrudes out past the collar's face. So you need a "stepped" bearing driver. I managed by using a Caster wheel. it was the perfect outter diameter. but very ghetto and hard to keep still and keep the bearing going in straight. So I had to go slow.
4) Special tools:
a) Hinge Pin Tool. No way around not buying this. but it's only $15. YES! a 1/2" Allan can work, but just buy this thing.
b) Shift Cable tool. looks like a spark plug socket and deep well will do it. Or, a ratcheting wrench. No. Use a 9/16" spark plug with the hex end on the backside and an 18mm deep well
b) Engine alignment tool. If my engine mounts are good, How do I get around buying this $130 special tool, or is there a comparable replacement so long as the outter diameter is the same? Buy the engine alignment tool. I found it for $45 bucks on Amazon.
5) bellow installation "glue". Anything better than Mercruiser bellows RTV
Quicksilver brand is what I used. reminds me of rubber cement.
Also, purchase something called "perfect seal" for the shift cable threads at the out drive. I used pipe thread sealant. hope I am ok there.
Lastly,
what else should I watch out for or plan to do while it's apart? The boat runs well, have had it out 3 times in the last month and it does great. Just has a leaking upper bellow that I'm sure has toasted the gimbal bearing.
ANSWER: Grease the double U-joint (CV joint) on the main drive shaft that hangs out of the outdrive. use marine grease. If one joint is flowing oil out, but not others, then put a zip tie around the rubber of that flowing u-joint knuckle to force greese to other knuckles. Look to see if the Trim senders have corroded wires. Mine where cracking, so I had to replace the factoy wires. They pass through the hull just above the water hose union/pass through. I have pictures I can share if someone might be in the same boat.
I found some older post on the topics, but when they rely on picture and the pictures don't load it makes it hard to follow what's going on. :/
This one was good, but for a gen 2 model. http://baylinerownersclub.org/index....gen-2?start=25
EDIT 2: My thoughts about the process. Sorry for the typos. my fingers hurt! :blink:
You can do this by yourself in an 8 hour day if you must. I spread it over a day and a half and went slow.
You have to trim the water hose down to 13". Measure your old one when it comes off (even if you have already cut it in two)
The bellows adhesive is no joke. You have to work fast to get it all around the transom U-joint opening and then be ready to shove the gimbal/bellow on.
I did not need the special tool for installing the gimbal side bellow into the gimbal bell housing. I did put adhesive on the aluminum ring because it slid on so easily and the U-joints could hit it on the inward, push the ring out and ruin you install!!
I sprayed PB blaster on my hinge pins a lot prior to removal. Seized bolts is the biggest complain by most, so go in expecting the worse. Mine took no more than 40 foot pounds to get loose.
My gimbal bell housing had some left to right slop. I am ordering new Fiber Washers now. For the $2ea. they cost, just order them before hand with your kit.
I did not need an exhaust bellows, so no need for that special tool.
My order of install was:
1) Gimbal bell housing on bench with bellows installed (pay attention to "Top and forward" Gen 2's have no rear hose clamp, so that was hard to F up.
2) Upper water hose on transom side installed
3) bellows adhesive on U-joint boss on transom. Install quickly, pushing until the boot "pops" into the groove. and the HOLD for a minute or two. While keeping pressure forward, tighten hose clamp.
4) Water hose on bell housing side. My hose slid on super slick after adding some oil. The clamp on this hose wants to send it's excess band material at an angle that hits the lower bellows. Best to pre-tighten each hose close the it's minimum size and still allow stuff to slide on. Then you can ben that excess to better tuck back around.
5) Shift cable. Great video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYn7VJ2y7fI
The shift cable was the most nonsensickle thing I have ever seen.
For the out drive side, you do NOT have to remove the set screw and safety wire and shuttle piece. leave it all together.
I did not have a "guide wire" like they used and I managed just fine. removing the spiral wound rub-protector sleeve (near exhaust or oil pan) is a good idea
Have the cable sheath/housing (black thing) as straight as possible for unscrewing and screwing in. The whole thing spins and if it is bent, that's a lot of stress on it.
For install of this cable sheath: You have to apply forward force on the plastic tip with your thumb, while you use the hex part of the socket and a wrench to start the threading. then switch to a socket.
The bellow attachment on the transom side has ridges in it. because of this I did not bother with adhesive.
I used two zip ties for the skinny end of the shift bellow. Do some trial runs before you tie down the skinny end to maximize "extension versus bottoming out when compressed". Don't want to stretch this thing too much or it will fail sooner versus later.
Then install the shift cable (long metal insert).
6) THEN I put in the hinge pins. Made for a lot more freedom with the shift cable and other stuff.
Hope that helps someone else. I would do it again for sure. and I did it all by myself.
It would have helped to have one of those springy snake like extension tool for tightening the 5/16" hose clamps. I used a "wobble" and extensions and that sucked often.
Original post with answers to questions in itallics....
I'm an automotive mechanic, but a first time boat owner. Working on a 1992 Arriva, 21 foot, bow rider ski boat with a Mercruiser Alpha One behind a Mercruiser 5.7L
I have watched several Youtube video and think I can handle the job - from a skills standpoint. With Youtube and Amazon, anything is possible. haha.
If you all wouldn't mind helping with the following questions, I'd appreciate it.
Outdrive Serial Number 0D757100 So it's an Alpha 1 Gen 2
1) Brands of kits. Should I order Mercruiser or is a particular off-brand just as good?
Amazon bellows kit
Answer: Mercruiser = Quicksilver = a great kit. I was told Sierra is a close 2nd, but if you are a novice and doing this yourself to safe money, youc an splurge for the Merruiser kit and still be ahead. I paid $188 and got it from Michigan Motorz.
2) With it being an alpha one should I order the impeller?
Answer: I did order the water impeller, but I did not install it. For three reasons: 1) The engine cools well. 2) If your boat's exhaust goes through the bellows and out the out-drive, then the heat from it causes short life spans for the impella. My boat has through hull exhaust. 3) The out drive oil drained out a very nice color, so I didn't want to introduce a new problem. Pulling the outdrive at a later date is an additional 15 minutes of work for me now. no biggy.
3) Gimbal bearing install. Can I smack it in with a 2x4?
Answer: I should have ordered the bearing driver with my alignment tool. The bearing center protrudes out past the collar's face. So you need a "stepped" bearing driver. I managed by using a Caster wheel. it was the perfect outter diameter. but very ghetto and hard to keep still and keep the bearing going in straight. So I had to go slow.
4) Special tools:
a) Hinge Pin Tool. No way around not buying this. but it's only $15. YES! a 1/2" Allan can work, but just buy this thing.
b) Shift Cable tool. looks like a spark plug socket and deep well will do it. Or, a ratcheting wrench. No. Use a 9/16" spark plug with the hex end on the backside and an 18mm deep well
b) Engine alignment tool. If my engine mounts are good, How do I get around buying this $130 special tool, or is there a comparable replacement so long as the outter diameter is the same? Buy the engine alignment tool. I found it for $45 bucks on Amazon.
5) bellow installation "glue". Anything better than Mercruiser bellows RTV
Quicksilver brand is what I used. reminds me of rubber cement.
Also, purchase something called "perfect seal" for the shift cable threads at the out drive. I used pipe thread sealant. hope I am ok there.
Lastly,
what else should I watch out for or plan to do while it's apart? The boat runs well, have had it out 3 times in the last month and it does great. Just has a leaking upper bellow that I'm sure has toasted the gimbal bearing.
ANSWER: Grease the double U-joint (CV joint) on the main drive shaft that hangs out of the outdrive. use marine grease. If one joint is flowing oil out, but not others, then put a zip tie around the rubber of that flowing u-joint knuckle to force greese to other knuckles. Look to see if the Trim senders have corroded wires. Mine where cracking, so I had to replace the factoy wires. They pass through the hull just above the water hose union/pass through. I have pictures I can share if someone might be in the same boat.
I found some older post on the topics, but when they rely on picture and the pictures don't load it makes it hard to follow what's going on. :/
This one was good, but for a gen 2 model. http://baylinerownersclub.org/index....gen-2?start=25
EDIT 2: My thoughts about the process. Sorry for the typos. my fingers hurt! :blink:
You can do this by yourself in an 8 hour day if you must. I spread it over a day and a half and went slow.
You have to trim the water hose down to 13". Measure your old one when it comes off (even if you have already cut it in two)
The bellows adhesive is no joke. You have to work fast to get it all around the transom U-joint opening and then be ready to shove the gimbal/bellow on.
I did not need the special tool for installing the gimbal side bellow into the gimbal bell housing. I did put adhesive on the aluminum ring because it slid on so easily and the U-joints could hit it on the inward, push the ring out and ruin you install!!
I sprayed PB blaster on my hinge pins a lot prior to removal. Seized bolts is the biggest complain by most, so go in expecting the worse. Mine took no more than 40 foot pounds to get loose.
My gimbal bell housing had some left to right slop. I am ordering new Fiber Washers now. For the $2ea. they cost, just order them before hand with your kit.
I did not need an exhaust bellows, so no need for that special tool.
My order of install was:
1) Gimbal bell housing on bench with bellows installed (pay attention to "Top and forward" Gen 2's have no rear hose clamp, so that was hard to F up.
2) Upper water hose on transom side installed
3) bellows adhesive on U-joint boss on transom. Install quickly, pushing until the boot "pops" into the groove. and the HOLD for a minute or two. While keeping pressure forward, tighten hose clamp.
4) Water hose on bell housing side. My hose slid on super slick after adding some oil. The clamp on this hose wants to send it's excess band material at an angle that hits the lower bellows. Best to pre-tighten each hose close the it's minimum size and still allow stuff to slide on. Then you can ben that excess to better tuck back around.
5) Shift cable. Great video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYn7VJ2y7fI
The shift cable was the most nonsensickle thing I have ever seen.
For the out drive side, you do NOT have to remove the set screw and safety wire and shuttle piece. leave it all together.
I did not have a "guide wire" like they used and I managed just fine. removing the spiral wound rub-protector sleeve (near exhaust or oil pan) is a good idea
Have the cable sheath/housing (black thing) as straight as possible for unscrewing and screwing in. The whole thing spins and if it is bent, that's a lot of stress on it.
For install of this cable sheath: You have to apply forward force on the plastic tip with your thumb, while you use the hex part of the socket and a wrench to start the threading. then switch to a socket.
The bellow attachment on the transom side has ridges in it. because of this I did not bother with adhesive.
I used two zip ties for the skinny end of the shift bellow. Do some trial runs before you tie down the skinny end to maximize "extension versus bottoming out when compressed". Don't want to stretch this thing too much or it will fail sooner versus later.
Then install the shift cable (long metal insert).
6) THEN I put in the hinge pins. Made for a lot more freedom with the shift cable and other stuff.
Hope that helps someone else. I would do it again for sure. and I did it all by myself.
It would have helped to have one of those springy snake like extension tool for tightening the 5/16" hose clamps. I used a "wobble" and extensions and that sucked often.
inch:
Comment