Alpha one drive Movement

[Scarab Excell]

How much side to side drive movement should a alpha one have?

If it has to much where could it be worn at to cause this?

What I am talking about is if the drive is tilted up and you grab it how far should it move without turn the wheel with the engine off?

I looked at it real close today, at the pivot pin that connects to the steering arm there is about 1/8 inch of play. Of course at the tip of the foot with it in the up postion there is about 2 inches of play back and forth.

But the gimbal is only moving about a 1/8 th at the most.

How long can I run like this? I dont want to spend big $$ right now as the wife will kill me. This is my secound boat this year and I still have the first one so I cant even tell her I need a gimbal ring. Can I tighten it? Or should I just use it like it is?

Like they say if it Floats or F*cks it is going to cost money!!! Dang they are telling the truth!!!

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

Depends on how old the model is.......
If it is the newer kind, I would tighten the two nuts/bolts on top of the gimbal ring to 50# for starters & see what that does......​

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

Yep, try loosening those bolts, spray some WD40 type material back in there, and retorque them.
A good way to check how bad Alphas are it to grab the bottom of the drive and lift up. If the gimbal moves in, they're pretty worn. I looked at a boat last week that they moved a lot!

 

[Scarab Excell]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

I tried the up and down lift and it doesnt move, but it will move side to side. It looks like the square pin that goes through the gimbal ring is loose and moves about 1/16 th 1/8 of a inch when you shake the drive lift to right.

Can I tighten these? Some floks said not to because the ring will breakl??

 

[tommays]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

It is worn to a point now of NOT being safe and will get worse pretty fast


I dont the place BUt there is a place that rebuilds gimbles



Tommays

 

[WanabeBoater]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

I read this thread the day before putting my boat in storage and grabbed hold of my Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive. The drive was in the trailer up position and yes..It moved when I lifted it. Should I be concerned with this or should I be looking for something else when lifting the drive?

 

[heyttown]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

I read this thread the day before putting my boat in storage and grabbed hold of my Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive. The drive was in the trailer up position and yes..It moved when I lifted it. Should I be concerned with this or should I be looking for something else when lifting the drive?

Its probably best to start a new thread with all your correct info...This forum is great and you will get plenty of answers but you will get more info if you start a new one.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

This guy rebuilds Bravo gimbals I know. Not sure about Alphas. He also has hardened stainless shafts and u-bolts for the Bravos.

http://www.jrmarine.com/products/gimbal_repair.htm

If you can see 1/8 inch of movement on the gimbal at the shaft it's definitely worn. You can try tightening the nuts but it ain't gonna help. But if you tighten just a hair too far trying to tighten it up the u-bolt snaps then you have to remove the gimbal ring to replace the u-bolt anyhow (the voice of experience .....).

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

On an Alpha, they don't use a u-bolt. So if you break the bolt, you can remove it without that added difficulty.

 

[WanabeBoater]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

Yeah, I'm gonna have my mech look into it...Sounds like something I wouldn't want to take chances doing myself.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Alpha one drive Movement

Yeah, I'm gonna have my mech look into it...Sounds like something I wouldn't want to take chances doing myself.

Tilliamwe is right, it does not have a ubolt.....
You will not break the bolts if you tighten them to 50#....
No way....
They are too stout....
You may also have play where the steering arm connects to the shaft....
You need to immobilize the steering wheel & have an assitant shake the drive as you inspect it inside & out.....