1989 3.0 Alpha 1 lower unit-- driveshaft play

[stu01]

Followed a nit-wit off our beach-ramp, he was dragging his twin drives on the bottom, DUH, (talk about not paying attention, him or me) and got some silt/sand into water pump and burned it up, and started to overheat. (pump was new this spring) So I pulled the drive to replace the pump, again.

Here is my question-problem:

1. when I drained the oil, it was black. No filings or metal, just black.

(Wasn't like that at the end of last summer. It drained out blue, just like it went in). I pressure tested it, ok there. No milk.

2. WITHOUT THE PUMP INSTALLED, I noticed that I can pick up and down, vertically, the driveshaft, approx 1/4 inch. didn't notice this in the spring.
(maybe I wasn't looking)

3. Is this normal? Or should it have no vetical play at all?

4. If this is not correct, what has gone wrong?
what am I destroying? Gears?

Everyting still turns smoothly, and when running there was no noises, shifts and ran just like last year, GREAT.

I would appreciate any thoughts and comments, as I would rather be "safe than sorry".

Thanks in advance Stu

 

[stu01]

Re: 1989 3.0 Alpha 1 lower unit-- driveshaft play

in another post after mine, there was mention of a pre-load pin, in a genII?

is there one in a 1989 alpha 1? mine never had one, altho I have only owned boat for 3 years. maybe somelse removed it and never put back in?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 1989 3.0 Alpha 1 lower unit-- driveshaft play

If you overheated you might have gotten the oil hot and started to cook it turning it black.If you don't use the boat a lot.Use GOOD oil. Mercruiser brand.
The preload pin won't come out easy.If it's not on the end of the drive shaft then you don't have one(possibly an older drive). The play will be taken out when re-assemblied.Jerry