Re: alpha gen 1 steering arm play
Tightening those bolts may lessen the play, but it isn't going to fix your problem. When that pin begins to loosen it damages the gimble ring that it runs thru. The pin is steel, the ring is aluminum.
There are three main things that cause that kind of wear on the gimble ring:
Driving the boat with the drive up past the trim limit height.
Having the transom assembly installed crooked.
And having a damaged, bent or broken skeg on the drive.
The proper repair is replacing the gimble ring which requires removing the engine, and drive, then the removal and disassembly of the transom assembly.
When the transom assy is installed on the boat, you cant get to the big nut that hold that pin in place.
This is where the boring a hole in the side (top) of the transom assembly comes in. It gives you access to that nut while the motor and transom are still installed.
Mercruiser sells a kit for this that has the template for getting the hole in the right spot, the instructions, and the plastic plug that you use to fill that big *** hole in your boat.
I agree with bond-o about that kit. I would never use one, personally. Not only are you weakening your transom assy, you are opening yourself up to a potential leak, and doing it that way doesn't allow you to inspect the assy to see if there may be other damage.
The kit is fairly cheap. The price of the gimble ring is gonna' break you heart.
