Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

[derekpfeiffer]

So today we were on the river floating and we started to float near the shore...By the time that i had gotten the boat started it was too late!!!! I had already kissed the shore...and of course it was where there were some large rocks. Well when we pulled the boat out of the water we saw that not only did I ding the prop but when my hydrafoil broke it took out part of my lower drive housing!!!. I'm just wondering If this cast alluminum is weldable or not???can a person patch a peice in there?? My dad said to just put on a new hydrofoil and not to worry about it...but i really don't want to do that...I'd like it fixed right. Or do I need a whole new lower case??

thanks for the help guys...I can't beleive I did that. Live and learn I guess

Thanks
Doogie

I've got more files but couldn't attatch them b/c they were too big I can email them if you guys need a better look

 

[JustJason]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

you really should get that fixed. what you snapped off is part of the anti ventilation plate. It basically helps keep air out of the prop (and subsequently keeps the prop from blowing out).
As for the prop... get that fixed to... thats a decent little ding you got there.

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Yeah I was planning on getting a different prop anyway...didn't like that pitch..so that didn't make me too upset but the drive really pissed me off...oh well live and learn

 

[Lou C]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Don't be too hard on yourself, I trashed a prop on my second outing with the old Four Winns when we first got it (2002), luckily didn't bent the prop shaft. I'd just have the plate fixed and put on a new prop. Rocks can really ruin your day! Can you get charts of the areas you boat in, often times rocky areas area marked on charts.

If you don't have a depth finder I'd add one, you always want to know how deep the water is wherever you are. When I'm driving the boat I am always scanning the depth finder and the temp&oil press gauges!

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Thanks for trying to ease my pain...Does anyone know tho if that is a weldable alloy?? If it is i'm thinking there really isn't any reason that I'd have to take it off the boat??There isn't any seals or oils back up there to worry about getting too hot is there?? I'm gonna call around to a couple of welding shops that kinda specialize in this stuff tomorrow and if they say they can fix it I'll just send them a pic of it before I drag the boat all the way up there. I really don't want to swap out the whole lower case!!!

Thanks guys
Doogie

 

[malfar]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

A good welder can weld a piece in. Take in to a good boat yard or a good welding shop. The other thing you could do is cut an aluminum piece the same shape as the caviatation plate, cut it so that it overlaps onto the part of the platd that is still intact and bolt it on using the holes that are there from the hydrofoil. You may want to make it a little larger and drill couple more holes as well. Won't be as pretty as a new leg, but if you round the front edge and the edges, and paint it black, it will sure save you a whack of money.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Ayuh,...... Outdrive Cases are Easily Welded.....

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

check with your local prop shop, some require the case to be removed some will weld it on the boat.
easy fix, I would have the propshaft checked to make sure its not bent while the prop is off.

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

I'll have to bring home a dial indicator and check the runout of the prop shaft tonight...how much runout is acceptable??? 0?? or a couple of thousandths? and if it does runout does the lower unit have to be disassembled and the shaft replaced or can it be "sweeked" back into straightness if it isn't out too far??

Thanks guys.

Hopefully this isn't as bad as I first thought it was going to be

Thanks,
Doogie

 

[Bondo]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Ayuh,.....

I believe runout should be less than a few thousandths,.....
And,...
While Propshafts can be straightened,....
It'll have to be torn down,+ Just the bare shaft is put into the Press to straighten it......

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Well I sent the pics to a welding shop that kinda specializes in those fixes. He said it'd be about 150-200 + a new prop...and he could do it already wednesday so I didn't figure that was too bad considering he's gonna have to fabricate a peice to patch in. I really hope that the prop shaft is ok b/c it doesn't look like it hit the prop too bad but I won't know until tonight.

Thanks for all of the feedback and positive encouragement...I was about sick when I saw that. It's like i've always been told a boat is a hole in the water to throw money into....oh well you have to do it b/c you love it.

Thanks again guys,
Doogie

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Well....I got home and mounted a dial indicator and right before the splines I have about .008 and right past the splines at the base of the threads I have about .02...But I do have some bearing slop too. The shop I'm taking it to said he'd check it tomorrow night when I took it up there before he fixed it. So if it is bent I'm thinking of turning it into my insurance and getting a whole new lower unit or one of those SE drives...Well see what he says tomorrow night I guess...very costly learning experence

Doogie

Starting to rethink this boating thing

 

[Lou C]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

The bottom line is that's what you have insurance for, so don't be too hard on yourself, if the hit was hard enough to bend the propshaft, then the gearset has to be checked as well, since it could fail somewhere down the road from the impact. So if you get a re-built lower out of it, that would be a pretty good outcome.
Where I boat, the North Shore of Long Island, is quite rocky, and I won't go in close to shore anywhere I'm not sure of where the bigger rocks are. The biggest rocky areas are marked on charts, but not all the obstructions.
Unlike driving a car, in boating some of the hazards you can't see!

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Yeah but I can only imagine what my insurance agent will say when I have a claim on a boat I've only owned and had insured for like 3 weeks. That's the biggest thing. I don't want to have a bigger claim later and my insurance drop me b/c of too many claims

That was my only thinking

Doogie

 

[backwater dawg]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Yea---I would'nt be to hard on yourself---I also don't know that I would be that worried about the chunk out of the plate---I busted one years ago--had it fixed and the heat they used to fix it took out seals and warped the whole lower case---prob a bad mech---now with a different boat--I caught a log and snapped the same chunk you did and did'nt fix it ---it's been years and theres NO difference in anything---I would replace the prop and go boating---good luck---Steve

 

[SimpleM]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Dude... I don't know how I missed it, but I JUST bought a sweet little Sea Ray for a really nice price. Took it on a test drive, bought it, and somehow missed that a piece of the anti-vent plate was snapped. It is almost almost EXACTLY like the one you took out on the rocks. The difference is the hydrofoil was masking the fact it was loose. Boat ran fine, but I just noticed it today. I was inspecting a couple of really minor dings in the prop and just wiggled the fin to be sure it was not loose and sure enough it was, but not because of loose bolts, because of a 2"X9" section of plate that was snapped clean. As for the suggestion that you just bolt on a new stab fin... I can tell you from experience it will work (test drive and about another hour on the lake), but I would be afraid of the stress from the foil on the single side of the anti-vent plate. I have a local welder that will argon/tig it back for me for about $50 as soon as he has 45min available. It's just uncanny that this post was the first thing I saw after discovering the damage on my new boat.

Good Luck with yours.

M...

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Yeah I'm gonna spend the money to get mine fixed...I just hate having things not right...I'm kinda funny like that. He's also ordering me a stainless skeg cover and a new trim tab...Can't wait to get it back hopefully tomorrow!!! when I get it back I'm gonna do a good paint job to 'er and be ready for the nice weather again.

Trying to "live and learn" and not get too discouraged in the process.

Thanks everyone,
Doogie

 

[rmurray]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

I inured my boat one day before taking out to lake Mead. Hit something (or so I believe) and blew some gears right out the side wall of the outdrive. Insurance replaced the lower unit and rebuilt the upper. It worked out for me since i had just purchased the boat used and wasn't sure what condition it was in. It cost me $500 and now I have a new outdrive. I have to give props to Progressive for that one...

 

[thaddeus76]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

I would bet the gears and shaft are OK. This time last year, I was starting my second season as a boat owner. Well, the very first time I took it out, I forgot one minor rule about raising the outdrive up before putting the boat back on the trailer.
This was also during a time ,when I used to power the boat up the bunk rails to the stop. (I've seen the light ,and winch it on now). To make matters worse, I have a stainless steel prop, which does not give as much during impact as it's alluminum counterpart.

I was goosing it forward, and heard : Tink-tink-tink-tink.... (yup, to those who know, thats what a prop hitting a cement boat ramp sounds like)

After I got my heart out of my stomach, I called the mechanic I bought the boat from. He recomended that I buy an alluminum prop, while the stainless was being repaired ($75), and check for vibrations out on the lake. Took it out and all was well. I guess that the hit wasn't severe enough to kill the shaft or gears, even though the rpms were up. At least as far as I can tell....

 

[MDJ1016]

Re: Hit a rock with alpha one drive!!!!

Don't feel too bad, I had boats as a kid my entire child hood (Pa owned them of course), not one scratch! So yesterday I took my boat to Lake Fenton (Michigan) and when I take it out I find the left anti-vibration plate busted off! I have only had this boat for three weeks now and damaged it. (How stupid I feel)

Has anyone had good or bad luck with the welding repair of the outdrive I/O plate? The boat is an older 1986 Liberator 211. For an old boat is runs good and hard.

Worst part is I stayed out of the area I know is shallow. I have an SS prop and it seems to be fine, trying to define why the anti vibration plate broke and the prop still looks new!

Yeah but I can only imagine what my insurance agent will say when I have a claim on a boat I've only owned and had insured for like 3 weeks. That's the biggest thing. I don't want to have a bigger claim later and my insurance drop me b/c of too many claims

That was my only thinking

Doogie