Replacing Trim indication and position sensors on Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive

[khe]

My trim gage began acting flakey and then went to the full UP position. I figured it was the trim indicator sender on the drive and sure enough, one of the wires was rotted off. I took the sensor apart and attached a new wire to it to get the gage on the dash working but would like to replace the senders. I know the Mercury procedure is to pull the drive and U-joint bellows in order to access the clamp bolt but I am wondering if the drive and hinge pins were removed, would there be enough clearance to R&R the clamp bolt on the harness wiring?

I found this old post: http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...easy-replacement-of-alpha-i-trim-limit-switch

But there is not room on my unit for a 1/4" extension to fit between the bell housing and gimbal ring.

Thanks!

 

[Bt Doctur]

You may have to remove the hinge pins, and the main bellow connection at the transom, and exaust bellow. Turning the steering ring to the right a bit also helps.
Just did that job ans only had the lower bolt to deal with. If you have a upper bolt ,thats another story.

 

[Bt Doctur]

When you cut the old wires tie a string to them inside the boat and remove them from the transom. Start the new wires BUT RTV the 2 halves together first. Tape if necessary untill cured. Then apply RTV to the joint and pull into place. Have someone hold slight tension from inside the boat while you install the clamp and bolt.
Tighten securely BUT DONT BREAK THE BOLT

 

[khe]

You may have to remove the hinge pins, and the main bellow connection at the transom, and exaust bellow. Turning the steering ring to the right a bit also helps.
Just did that job ans only had the lower bolt to deal with. If you have a upper bolt ,thats another story.

I only have the lower bolt - When you did yours, did you need to remove the bellows from the bell housing or just the hinge pins and wedge the bell housing down enough to gain access to the lower bolt?

I don't have the replacement senders yet - Is the RTV on the grommet halves part of the Merc. instructions?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Yes, loosened the clamp and popped off the main bellow at the transom and the exaust bellow.You MUST BE CAREFUL so as not to break the oil hose fitting.
The RTV is to join the halves together , makes it easier to slide them in as a pair instead of trying to get both halves lined up properly

 

[khe]

Yes, loosened the clamp and popped off the main bellow at the transom and the exaust bellow.You MUST BE CAREFUL so as not to break the oil hose fitting.
The RTV is to join the halves together , makes it easier to slide them in as a pair instead of trying to get both halves lined up properly

Aren't the bellows glued at each end? How should they be separated and cleaned so they can be re-glued into place? Maybe it is a good idea to replace the U-joint bellows and exhaust bellows while the assembly is apart? Did you attempt to wedge the gimbal ring down at all or did you just disconnect the bellows?

 

[Bt Doctur]

I find it easier to remove the U joint bellow at the transom side and exaust bellow and the ginbal housing side.

 

[ryanwilson277]

I just did this on my gen2. I taped in front of the two halves to hold them together pulled the wires through. Then zip tied them to a hose in the engine. I then used a long extension with a swivel and 7/16 socket with the drive turned full lock to the right and finagled the bolt and clamp back in without removing anything else.

 

[khe]

I just did this on my gen2. I taped in front of the two halves to hold them together pulled the wires through. Then zip tied them to a hose in the engine. I then used a long extension with a swivel and 7/16 socket with the drive turned full lock to the right and finagled the bolt and clamp back in without removing anything else.

That is good news! I was hoping that it could be accomplished without removing the drive, hinge pins, bellows, etc. If it's not raining this evening, I hope to check mine to see if I can access the bolt by turning the drive full starboard.

 

[ryanwilson277]

That is good news! I was hoping that it could be accomplished without removing the drive, hinge pins, bellows, etc. If it's not raining this evening, I hope to check mine to see if I can access the bolt by turning the drive full starboard.

If you decide to do it this way be prepared to curse a couple times trying to get the bolt threaded back in haha. Also noted that my swivel would bind from the sharp angle so i would turn the bolt a 1/4 turn then have to reposition the socket and swivel. A pair of long reach needle nose pliers came in handy aligning the clamp over the two halfs.

 

[khe]

If you decide to do it this way be prepared to curse a couple times trying to get the bolt threaded back in haha. Also noted that my swivel would bind from the sharp angle so i would turn the bolt a 1/4 turn then have to reposition the socket and swivel. A pair of long reach needle nose pliers came in handy aligning the clamp over the two halfs.

I'll probably cuss more than two times...LOL.

I checked mine last night and with the drive turned against the stop, I could feed a long 1/4" drive wobble extension between the bell housing and the gimbal ring, then attach the socket with a u-joint and it looks like it will come out without a problem. The angle wasn't that sharp.

To re-install, I am thinking about making a holder out of sheet styrene plastic that I can use to manipulate the bolt while it is in the socket in order to get it started and then pull the plastic off the bolt.

My Mercruiser hinge pin and bellows tools are loaned out currently so I need to wait to do the job until I get them back - just in case I need to wind up pulling the hinge pins, bellows, etc. I don't want to get stuck in the middle of this job not having all the tools to complete it. Hopefully, this is not going to be that bad of a job.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Could try a 1/2 inch allen wrench

 

[khe]

I could use a 1/2" allen wrench but I have time since the temporary repair to the wiring is working enough to buy me some time until my parts arrive and the weather improves a bit.

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I'll update this thread once I start the repair.

 

[khe]

I received the new trim senders the other day and decided to take another look to make sure I could access the bolt without messing with the hinge pins, etc I was thinking that my son and I could tackle the job and get it done in a few hours. Then I noticed the gear oil hose was cracked in a few places so now, it looks like I have to remove the hinge pins, etc... I need to purchase a bellows ring remover/installer. The hose is not leaking (yet...) but I want to replace it as soon as possible.

Is the U-joint bellows glued to the gimbal ring? From what I can tell from various videos, it is not glued.

I am going through this same job (trim senders) with my Dad's 888 and it has been a HORRIBLE job. That unit has two bolts that retain the wire grommet and there is no way to remove the upper bolt without removing the bell housing.

 

[khe]

I completed the trim sender R&R on my Alpha 1 gen 2 drive yesterday. I took the day off to do the job - it took 7 hours and the only real problem was contorting myself into the engine compartment to reach all the zip ties that secured the old sender wiring. Routing the new wires was difficult due to the limited room in the engine compartment but I was able to manage it.

I was originally going to do the sender R&R without removing the drive but I noticed my gear oil line was cracked in several places so I needed to take the hinge pins out in order to access the oil hose fittings. I read horror stories about that line but it was not a problem to install at the transom side - a little gear oil coupled with warming the line with a heat gun allowed it to slip right on to the barbed nipple. A small cable tie completed the attachment at the transom end. The bell housing end had a plastic clamp. Extra long needle nosed pliers were a big help.

Adjusting the trim sender was a PITA - it is so touchy that sometimes tightening the screws affected the gage reading. I was able to get it exactly over the hash mark for the full down position but when I raised the drive, then lowered it, it was off slightly. After several attempts, I thought I had it perfect, then it was off by a needle width.

The bellow attachment was really slick - not having to mess with bellows adhesive or hose clamps was nice. The new ring installed very easily with the installation tool.