I am in the process of replacing the gimbal ring on a 2001 Alpha 1, Gen 2 sterndrive. I'm learning a lot more about sterndrives than I really wanted to know at this point. I've only owned the boat two weeks!
I purchased a Seloc Mercruiser Repair Manual and its getting me through the job. What is driving me crazy is that when I removed the stern drive, inside the bell housing exhaust port, was a rubber flap just setting there behind the shift shaft. It looks like the heel part of the sole of a woman's shoe. It is not connected to anything. It's just setting there. I've looked through all the exploded diagrams in the book and can't see the part. My guess is that it is a flap of some kind to prevent water from entering the engine and it should be connected somewhere.
Looking in my Seloc repair manual, on page 10-36, Figures 145 and 146, it looks like the flap is shown in the bell housing drawing, sitting just like it was in my unit. What is this thing? Does it just sit there or is it a ripped off flap from up the exhaust, nearer to the motor? If it just sits there, how does it work? Any help would be greatly appreciated. What I really am hoping someone will say is that it is the way it is supposed to be and just ignore it!
Bob Rodak
I purchased a Seloc Mercruiser Repair Manual and its getting me through the job. What is driving me crazy is that when I removed the stern drive, inside the bell housing exhaust port, was a rubber flap just setting there behind the shift shaft. It looks like the heel part of the sole of a woman's shoe. It is not connected to anything. It's just setting there. I've looked through all the exploded diagrams in the book and can't see the part. My guess is that it is a flap of some kind to prevent water from entering the engine and it should be connected somewhere.
Looking in my Seloc repair manual, on page 10-36, Figures 145 and 146, it looks like the flap is shown in the bell housing drawing, sitting just like it was in my unit. What is this thing? Does it just sit there or is it a ripped off flap from up the exhaust, nearer to the motor? If it just sits there, how does it work? Any help would be greatly appreciated. What I really am hoping someone will say is that it is the way it is supposed to be and just ignore it!
Bob Rodak
