Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

[chriscraft254]

I am winterizing my boat. Everything has gone smooth until I tried to remove the three drain plugs for the upper pivot housing on my omc cobra outdrive. Any advice on how to get these to come loose? There a straight shank screw/plug. Tried a large srew driver, there not budging! Is it going to hurt to put a little heat to them? Also, after removal of water from the motor/cooling system, is it a good idea to leave plugs out and thermostat hose disconnected for the winter or reconnect them? The boat will be covered for the winter. Thanks in advance.

 

[HCMQA]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Best way to drain the drive and pivot housing is to remove the drive.

I personally leave all my plugs out and the hoses off.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Best way to drain the drive and pivot housing is to remove the drive.

I personally leave all my plugs out and the hoses off.

Have never removed the outdrive to drain an outdrive. Only reason I can see to do that would to be to check the bellows etc. This drive and motor were just put in this past season. I see no reson to remove the drive. The motor has been drained and the drive is in the down position. But I do want to figure out how to remove the 3 drain plugs the manual says to remove. I have tried impact, screw driver, pb blaster with no luck.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Not sure what drain plugs you're referring to. However, on the port side of the drive there's a drain plug right above the trim ram. Remove that one to drain the water pump. What I do is remove that plug, let the water drain then pour antifreeze down the t-stat hose until it runs out the hole. This will prevent any freeze ups in the waterpump. Put the plug back, fill the hose with AF & I'm done. Whatever you do, don't remove the plug behind the OMC emblem! Trust me, leave it alone. For winterization the drain plug I referred to is the only one I remove on my 3.0. If u want to, post a pic of the plugs you're referring to.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Here's a pic of the plugs he is probably talking about. There are 2 on the starboard side and one on the port side. The lower ones on each side are drains, the top starboard one is a vent. My boat is moored in salt water all season and those plugs have always come out for me. I put OMC triple guard grease or OMC gasket sealer on them and I have never had a problem. Water does usually drain from the port side one, not the starboard one even after I clean em out with a small screwdriver. I am surprised you can't get em out with an impact screwdriver. The previous owner of mine must have removed them regularly. You could try carefully heating the aluminum around the screw area to get it to loosen its grip on the screw. I always remove the drive each season, because you want to check for water in the bellows, gear oil in the bellows (leaky input shaft seal) and you must grease the u-joints and driveshaft splines. Removing the drive is the only way to do that. I also check the gimble bearing at the same time. I leave the drive off for the winter and install it in the spring. I also pour AF down the raw water intake hose to flush out any water. I fill the engine and manifolds with -100. Put OMC gasket sealer on the threads of the drain plugs to prevent water leaks when running and also they will come right out no problem next fall.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Not sure what drain plugs you're referring to. However, on the port side of the drive there's a drain plug right above the trim ram. Remove that one to drain the water pump. What I do is remove that plug, let the water drain then pour antifreeze down the t-stat hose until it runs out the hole. This will prevent any freeze ups in the waterpump. Put the plug back, fill the hose with AF & I'm done. Whatever you do, don't remove the plug behind the OMC emblem! Trust me, leave it alone. For winterization the drain plug I referred to is the only one I remove on my 3.0. If u want to, post a pic of the plugs you're referring to.

Only have a coupe pics. The first pic, you will see I have pulled one plug that my manual doesn't even say is there. The other pics are of the drain plugs I can not get off. There are two on the port side and one on the starboard side. Not including the one that is already removed in first pic. The drains are on the pivot housing. My set-up is the 5.7 liter with cobra outdrive.

The one here with the water draining down the side isn't even in my manual and doesn't show in the pictures either. Weird!

These are the ones located on the pivot housing.

This is a pic of the outdrive after painted.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

DID you remove the one in the middle of the port side upper unit?? That's the one you're not supposed to remove, yes water will drain but there is a retainer inside the drive, that fell down in the water passage, now most likely you HAVE to remove the drive to get the retainer out and put the screw you removed back in. Look at my pic on the right above, that screw was originally under an OMC Cobra medallion, most have fallen off by now and yes it is not mentioned in the manual, no one seems to know why it's there. The three small screws in the pivot in your picture, yes those have to come out. Try spraying PB Blaster or Kroil around the screw heads and let it soak into the aluminum first....

I pulled this pic off your post on the upgrades you did on the boat, looks great, is that the screw you removed?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Bummer...now drive definitely needs to come off.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Bummer...now drive definitely needs to come off.

Yep.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

View attachment 121746DID you remove the one in the middle of the port side upper unit?? That's the one you're not supposed to remove, yes water will drain but there is a retainer inside the drive, that fell down in the water passage, now most likely you HAVE to remove the drive to get the retainer out and put the screw you removed back in. Look at my pic on the right above, that screw was originally under an OMC Cobra medallion, most have fallen off by now and yes it is not mentioned in the manual, no one seems to know why it's there. The three small screws in the pivot in your picture, yes those have to come out. Try spraying PB Blaster or Kroil around the screw heads and let it soak into the aluminum first....

I pulled this pic off your post on the upgrades you did on the boat, looks great, is that the screw you removed?

Well, that just sucks. This is why I have always had a mechanic do things! Uugh! Yes, that is removed. Not a big deal to pull the drive off I guess, but what do you mean. Are you telling me that plug had a retainer ring on the inside to hold this screw on? And if so, how am I going to get it out of the drive? What am I getting into here?? Thanks for all the info though maybe alittle late,:facepalm:

I didn't see your last post illistrations until after I had pulled that damn plug! Why are they there?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Good news is that you don't have to worry about getting those other screws loose. Can't help you with getting the retainer out. I never removed that screw!

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Good news is that you don't have to worry about getting those other screws loose. Can't help you with getting the retainer out. I never removed that screw!

Guess I got to learn the hard way. And I even had a manual:facepalm: I'd like to know what kind of retainer it is? Is it a clip retainer?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

It's nothing but a piece of stainless flatstock with a captured nut. The drive isn't hard to pull, nothing tricky about it, once it's off you can lay it on it's side and have at getting those drain screws loose.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

It's nothing but a piece of stainless flatstock with a captured nut.

So I am assuming I can get to this area once the drive is removed? Am I assuming correctly. I would have never known there was a retainer on there. the screw that cam out had threads that looked like it threaded right into the outdrive. It definate does not though. I hate when I "screw" things up!

 

[Lou C]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

It's not a big deal to get the retainer out, you might have to get someone to help you lift the drive with the driveshaft facing down to get the retainer to fall out of the water passage. When you put it back together, use some gasket sealer on the threads and where the screw seals on the hole in the drive, that has to be water tight.
Taking the drive off is easy, remove the nut on the crossbar on the trim ram, slide the crossbar out, remove the six nuts on the drive and pull back on it, that will break the seal on the pivot housing, and the drive will come off.
Putting the drive back on, is a bit tricky, in that you have to get the driveshaft splines to line up and keep the ujoints straight. Use an alignment tool to get the gimble bearing lined up. You need a new pivot housing gasket , coat it on both sides with OMC gasket sealer, and put sealer on the threads of the 6 studs that hold on the drive. You can also replace the little oring gasket in the water passage. I built a stand to make the R+R easier. The Cobra gets removed in Neutral, not FWD like an Alpha. While you're at it, replace the impeller in the upper gear housing, easy job.

When you have it off, check the stuff I mentioned above, you should do this once a year, it is required in the OMC shop manual, and I can tell you from experience that the grease you put on the splines of the driveshaft that goes into the coupler, will be worn off in one season's time, the coupler and driveshaft will last much longer if it is greased once a year, and so will the u joints and gimble bearing. All part of owning an I/O boat.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Lou, thanks man. Its about time that I know how to do this anyway. Hopefully plan on keeping this boat for along time so it will be better than paying someone to do it. I like getting my hands dirty, just not greasy so much. I do better at smashed thumbs than I do with missing knuckles,lol But I will give it a go tmrw. Thanks for the info.

Did I miss a sticky that said don't remove that plug? I see now old threads but didn't see where it said it in a sticky. If not, it might be worthwhile for someone to add that.

Thanks again guys and I will keep you posted with pics on the outdrive removal. I'm really interested to see how things look in there first hand now.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

It's not bad at all, I started doing my drive service about 4 years ago, because I have the factory shop manual and was getting tired of paying for the work every year. I am in salt water so you have to stay on top of it. I/Os are more work than OBs but they are mechanically simpler, and the parts are a lot cheaper.
That boats a keeper, it came out great, and the Cobra is not bad at all, as long as you have a mechanic who can do the stuff you don't want to do. The only thing I can't do, is replace the seals that take special tools, not all but some do. I was able to find the special tools OMC made to make the shift cable adjustment easier, with that I can do most of my own work....

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Ok, so I guess I'm a caveman, because even I can pull an outdrive in less than 20 minutes.

Only thing is, the reason for pulling is to find that clip that was on the backside of the plug I was not suppose to remove when winterizing. I have not found the clip! Where could it have gone? Now what? The water jacket that it should be in, is empty! Any advice appreciated, Also, what should I be doing to summerize this outdrive? New oil and what else. All the internals I think are fine. If the pics show something of concern please let me know. Thanks.

Also, would you clean all the corrosion/calcium deposits off and with what do I clean this with?

Gimbal housing after removal, grease, no water.

Area where plug clip should be. Nothing in there.

Outdrive veiw

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Anyone??

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Another winterizing question (drain plugs)

Hi CC,

I don't think I can be of much help here, but I do have a question...is the plug hole threaded or is smooth and the retainer that you can't find possibly have a nut with it that the plug threads into?

I ask, because if the hole is threaded to accept the plug, wouldn't it be possible that the retainer had been eliminated by the manufacturer, in favor of threading right into the drive?

In other words, what actually holds the plug in place?

Sorry man, just trying to make sense of this...