First look inside my Alpha One

[rednecktech00]

Built my cart as per the sticky. l Pulled my drive to see what it looks like. Haven't had any problems. Just addicted to these forums and needed something to do today. This is what I saw. Should the lube or grease look like this? Looks more like mud than anything. What should I be checking? I read all 700+ pages of the manual last night. Have read the forums constantly. Wasn't expecting the inside to look like this. It is a 1988 (I think). Serial number 0B942094

 

[Don S]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

You have water in the bellows. Not good. You need a new bellows, new ujoints and gimbal bearing, new seal and possibly yoke for the drive input shaft.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Thanks Don. I was sort of hoping you would respond and sort of hoping you were out enjoying the holiday somewhere. I love your insights. I guess it is a good thing I pulled it. Now I can dig through the manual again and pay more attention to bellows replacement. The u-joints look pretty easy. The yoke and bearings will require some study or the manual.

BTW, can you tell by the serial number if this is an 88? I see to sets of "94" in the number. Does that mean 94?

 

[Don S]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Yes, it's an 88. If it had been a 94, It would have been a Gen II drive.

Section 4A of manual #6 covers the bellows change, 3A covers the yoke and front seal. While you have it all apart, when was the last impeller and how old is the shift cable.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Impeller is 2 years old. I was going to replace it. We didn't run it much last year because my wife was sick. I have had the boat 6 years. The shift cable has never been changed. I was planning on doing that. I'm also noticing milky lube in the trim resevoir.

Several of these central Illinois mechanics have told me I have a gen II. So the manual I have been reading is 14. This is why I am considering the boat repair business

 

[Don S]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

You don't have a Gen II, if that serial number if from your outdrive, it's an 88. The Gen II didn't come out till 91.

Several of these central Illinois mechanics have told me I have a gen II.

You might not want to bother them anymore. They are giving you wrong information. :facepalm:
You also need manual #6, not 14.. http://www.4shared.com/office/L17_ufPa/06__Drives_R-A1_83-90.html?

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Thanks again Don. You have told me before about not bothering the locals.

I once came very close to marrying the wrong woman. I am starting to feel the same way about this boat.

The good news is that manual 6 is only 566 pages. I will have this memorized shortly.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Still digesting the manual. It looks like I will need the hinge pin tool to get the gimbal ring loose to access the bellows. Maybe I have missed it in the first dozen readings of manual 6. Seems like the manual give a lot more attention to the trim switches than how to handle the gimbal ring. I have lots of other stuff to play with on this old boat while waiting for a hinge pin tool.

 

[Bondo]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Still digesting the manual. It looks like I will need the hinge pin tool to get the gimbal ring loose to access the bellows. Maybe I have missed it in the first dozen readings of manual 6. Seems like the manual give a lot more attention to the trim switches than how to handle the gimbal ring. I have lots of other stuff to play with on this old boat while waiting for a hinge pin tool.

Ayuh,.... A 1/2" allen-key socket, works Perfectly... or just a plain ole allen wrench...

Don't forget to heat the pins up abit, to soften the lock-tite...

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Ok, I appreciate the tip about using an allen wrench. I found a hinge pin tool for $5.99 on eBay so I ordered one since I knew I wouldn't be working on it until today. I was thinking I heard the hinge pin tool fit a 1/2 socket. It was 5/8. No big deal. The starboard pin came out really easy. The engine was just replaced 3 years ago so everything is really pretty fresh.

The port side isn't coming so easy. I will probably have to heat it.

Question on the trim sender and switch. The I'm looking in Manual 6. It is showing how to take them off by loosening the screws on the wires. Sounded and looked really easy. The manual also says there is a newer type that is wired by the factory. I can't find that the manual says anything about how to remove these.





The manual does say to be careful about not damaging the wires. Before I start muscling and heating the port side, I am wondering what you all think. How do I do this without damaging?

 

[Don S]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

You aren't supposed to take the sender and switch apart, you are supposed to remove them so you can get to the pivot bolts.
You should have removed the 2 screws marked b in this drawing from the manual.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Yes, I did that. Should I not have opened them? The manual is good. I'm still getting used to it.

 

[Don S]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Yes, I did that. Should I not have opened them? The manual is good. I'm still getting used to it.

No you shouldn't have taken them apart if there wasn't anything wrong with them.

 

[rickryder]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

How was the fluid in the drive itself? If it was milky you may have seal problems too...

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

No you shouldn't have taken them apart if there wasn't anything wrong with them.

I see now. In manual 6 4A-5 step 3 it says this style cannot be repaired. Thanks for your patience. I am really enjoying this.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

How was the fluid in the drive itself? If it was milky you may have seal problems too...[/QOnUOTE]

The drive oil looked really clean. I could see a couple of what looked like air bubbles. Couldn't find any fragments. One of the local marine shops topped off my trim resevoir with water. I will have to deal with that before everything is done.

 

[Dieter]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Do you know how the water got into the bellows? Just tore mine apart yesterday, I didnt have what you had in your picture but there was a little watter in the bottom. Hope you get it going.

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Do you know how the water got into the bellows? Just tore mine apart yesterday, I didnt have what you had in your picture but there was a little watter in the bottom. Hope you get it going.

Glad you asked. I had the engine replaced after one of the marine shops here put a new head on. I had to replace the engine because about 10 minutes of running with the new head, the old engine locked up.

So I bought a new engine and had the same morons put it in. Got it out on the lake and my boat was swamped as if I hadn't put the plug in. It got pretty deep back there. Was able to get the water out by running the bilge pump. Sure wish I had one of those pumps with a float on it. I suspect that is when water got into the bellows.

Once the water was out, I still couldn't find where all that water had come from that swamped the boat. When I started it up, water was flowing out of the thermostat housing like Niagra Falls. The moron mechanics at Eastside Marine here in Springfield Illinois had not put a thermostat in. The bolts weren't even finger tight.

Shortly there after the new starter was dead from being swamped I'm sure. I also had to replace the head gasket on the new engine. I may be wrong, but I suspect the head blew because I was running the engine too cold.

This is why I'm wanting to learn how to be a marine mechanic. I can't believe the money I have paid these idiots around here. I want to learn it all myself so I can charge big bucks to do things right the first time.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Well if the water got in the drive bellows from the boat side that's a good thing in a way. At least the bellows is then less of a suspect. But if you are in there it's still smart to change due to it's age.

Don, does the water contamination sometimes ruin the drive yoke? That stinks doesn't it?

 

[rednecktech00]

Re: First look inside my Alpha One

Well if the water got in the drive bellows from the boat side that's a good thing in a way. At least the bellows is then less of a suspect. But if you are in there it's still smart to change due to it's age.

Don, does the water contamination sometimes ruin the drive yoke? That stinks doesn't it?

Great question. I didn't remove the bellows yet. I did pull the ring as far out as I could. The bellows look and feel like new. They really don't have many hours on them. The are only about 3 years old. The yoke, ujoints, and even the gimbal bearing look as clean as they can be.

Am I correct in thinking water got in there from being swamped for probably less than an hour? I didn't hardly run it at all last year becaue my wife was battling breast cancer. Now, she really wants to go out. I was planning on just spending the whole Summer tinkering with it in the garage. What do you guys think?

I am tempted to put it back together, put an impeller in it and run. However, I do think the lower shift cable needs to be replaced. It certainly has had the symptoms for quite some time.