3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

[smooth torquer]

Hi from Bonnie Scotland.

We?ve just had a great week waterskiing, tubing & wakeboarding on Loch Lomond (http://www.lochlomondlodge.co.uk/accommodation/jetty.aspx). If you ever come to Scotland ? this is the place for fishing & watersports.

Anyway, our boat is a Fletcher Arrowstreak GTS (17? with 3.0 litre Mercruiser, built around 1989). The outdrive is in good cosmetic condition as the boat seems to have been always trailered and probably used mainly in fresh water. The outdrive is an ?Alpha One? generation 1. I winterized the engine last year, and prior to last week?s outing I replaced the engine oil and filter, fitted a new bilge pump and float-switch and replaced the stern-drive gear-lube. I also set the points / dwell & timing etc & gapped the plugs.

The boat ran well, but as the week progressed we had a steadily worsening vibration, and latterly almost grinding when turning tightly. The vibration was worst at idle (with the sterndrive turned off-centre). I suspect that the UJs may be worn or possibly the gimbal bearing is u/s. From what I have read on the forums & manual, could even be a failed coupler? I haven?t pulled the outdrive yet, but I can see that the lower shift cable bellows is split (in two pieces actually). The exhaust bellows looks OK, but I can?t see the UJ bellows until I pull the drive.

So, I have done my homework and have a fair idea of what the problem could be and how to fix, but I would like to ask you experts for some guidance on a couple of things that I have been unable to find clear answers to on the web / in the manual etc. As it stands, I plan to pull the drive and gimbal housing and replace all the bellows, the water hose, the lower shift cable, the gaskets and seals of course ? and the UJs and gimbal bearing if found faulty.

1. If I find the UJs are worn (due to water ingress / corrosion / whatever), do I just change the cross-pieces, or do I need to replace the shaft(s) / forks? Also ? do I need to press in/out the spicers on this drive? Will it be obvious if the UJs are worn ? and are the cause of the vibration?

2. Do I need to align the engine & drive after the repair ? using an alignment tool, even if I am not removing the engine / gimbal housing / transom plate? No problem doing this if required, but just wondering if I can save the ?75 for an alignment tool!

3. If the coupler is the problem will it be obvious ? and is this definitely an engine-out job?

4. Parts & tools I need ? I expect I will need all 3 bellows, stainless hose clips for each end, replacement water hose and clips, adhesive for the bellows(?), gasket & seal kit, new shift cable, UJ & spline grease. I may need a gimbal bearing and new UJs. Special tools I need to buy will be hinge pin removal tool, bearing puller, alignment tool (maybe). Have I missed anything (like bearing installation tool?, bellows installation tool?, seal installation tool?).

Finally (thanks for reading this far), I also have an oil leak ino the bilge (mixes nicely with the water leak from the burst bellows!). It looks like it?s coming from the front, as the power steering pump and water-pump area are oily, and it?s spraying up the sides of the engine bay from here. What?s the likely cause ? and is this an engine out to replace the seal?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[Doernuth]

Re: 3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

Ill answer no 2. Anytime you pull the drive you should check the allignment.

and no 3. Coupler issues are not always obvious without pulling the engine but some are obvious, in order to change it you will most likely have to pull the engine.

An oil leak is serious business you may have to pull the engine and replace the seals, possibly a rebuild is in order.

 

[smooth torquer]

Re: 3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

Thanks for that Doernuth.

I'll get the alignment tool and be ready to tweak the engine mounts. Hopefully it won't be the coupler that's to blame and the engine can stay in - but from what you say about the oil leak I should probably prepare myself for the worst!

Good news is that the oil is in good shape (no water or fuel contamination) and compression checked good at the end of last season so hopefully a complete rebuild won't be needed - but I'll check compression again anyway.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: 3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

Alpha 1's can have a power steering leak if you loosened the clamp to the power steering cooler over the winter and didn't retighten it. (As I did) So check the PS fluid, if it's low check that out before you pull the motor.
You don't always need the crosses in the u joints, see how they look.
And ps. follow Mercruiser exactly on sequence and clamp placement when doing the bellows. Their method is the least work. If you get a flex extension for your 1/4" drive sockets, that will make installing the clamps easiest. It's a 5 or 6" long drive extension which is bendable. It has a springyness to it and when bent it returns to straight when you release it.

 

[cr2k]

Re: 3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

When your shift bellows is broken you will get water into the cable so your cable should be replaced too. Rattle sounds like could be UJs and/or Gimbal.

 

[smooth torquer]

Re: 3.0 Litre & Alpha One ? vibration, bellows & oil leak!

Thanks for the replies cr2k & NHGuy.

I'll be pulling the drive in the next day or two (if the rain stops!).

I'll see what the UJs and gimbal bearing look like and take it from there.

My mate's offered the use of his work's overhead crane if I need to whip the engine out which can't be a bad thing (my engine crane isn't nearly high enough).

I'll report back the findings.

ST