Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

[acdc96]

I just rebuilt the water pump on my 1987 Alpha One Gen 1 outdrive. It came off easily and was very clean on the inside. Put the new parts on and now the dam thing won't go on. Spent a half hour trying to get it on!!! First time this has happened to me on this drive. The drive is in neutral and the boat is in neutral. I don't remember if it's suppose to be in gear or not.

Any Help would be very appreciated!!!

I can answer most questions

 

[stratcat88]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I just rebuilt the water pump on my 1987 Alpha One Gen 1 outdrive. It came off easily and was very clean on the inside. Put the new parts on and now the dam thing won't go on. Spent a half hour trying to get it on!!! First time this has happened to me on this drive. The drive is in neutral and the boat is in neutral. I don't remember if it's suppose to be in gear or not.

Any Help would be very appreciated!!!

I can answer most questions

forward

 

[acdc96]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

When I put it in forward it doesn't help. The shifter dangles from the upper unit and looks the same as in neutral.

It's funny I have an outboard that the drive won't come off and a stern drive that won't go back on .

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

The drive is in neutral and the boat is in neutral.

If you removed the entire outdrive that is your problem. The control handle must be in forward and the lower unit must be in forward when you put it back in. Turn the lower shift shaft all the way clockwise and the propeller counterclockwise until it locks and you are in forward. Hold the prop locked with a bungee, and it should go back together.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

When I put it in forward it doesn't help. The shifter dangles from the upper unit and looks the same as in neutral.

Make sure the throttle only button has not been pushed, bring the control all the way back to reverse then push it all the way forward, the channel on the bottom of the upper shift shaft (in the bellhousing) should point straight ahead. The top of the intermediate shift shaft in the outdrive should also point straight ahead when you are in forward. This allows the two to slide together.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

When I put it in forward it doesn't help. The shifter dangles from the upper unit and looks the same as in neutral.

sounds to me like he's only got the lower off the boat. assuming thats the case. take the upper off and mate the two halves on the bench. it's so much easier on the bench. and i really mean a whole lot easier.

if your in neutral on the lower and at the helm. you would have no way to adj. how the splines in the lower and upper mate. unless yer lucky, the splines could make it impossible to mate.

oh, if the uppers still on. ya didn't lub your coupler, or lub your ujoints or check alignment, or check for water intrusion/gear lub intrusion into the bellows

 

[achris]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

If you remove the lower unit from the upper and leave the upper on the boat, when you go to put the lower back on, you must be in forward gear. The reason is that as you lift the lower unit up and tip it forward to slide up into the lower the shift dog also slides forward, and put the unit in forward gear. You can then use that to help you. Don't worry about the intermediate shift shaft for the moment, we deal with that later.

For the moment, just put the control box in forward, put the gear housing (lower unit) in forward, give the intermediate shift shaft a turn so the shoe on top faces forward and present the gear housing up the the drive shaft housing (upper). You'll need to guide the water tube into its guide while you do it... Once you reach a point, about an inch from fully home, slowly turn the propeller CCW. This does a couple of things. Firstly it makes sure the dog is fully in forward gear, and (more importantly) it will turn the drive shaft so the splines line up.

Once you feel the gear housing pop into place a little better (that means the splines have lined up) stop turning the prop (and DO NOT turn it CW, or you will pop it out of gear), and concentrate on the intermediate shift shaft. Once you have that lined up you can push the housing almost all the way up. Put the very front nut on a few threads. This will hold the housing in place while you put the 2 side nuts on. Once they are on, start winding them down evenly. Once they are fully down, just button up the rest....

HTH,

Chris.....

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

sounds to me like he's only got the lower off the boat.

+1 Ziggy. Yeah I think you are right and he has a dangling intermediate shaft

 

[acdc96]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I'm not gonna take the rest of the drive off. Sorry did that once this year.
I'm gonna try it afterwork tomorrow.
thanks all and I'll post my results.

 

[stratcat88]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I'm not gonna take the rest of the drive off. Sorry did that once this year.
I'm gonna try it afterwork tomorrow.
thanks all and I'll post my results.

did you have to replace those seals under pump base. i,m in the middle of doing the same repair you are on the same drive. learned a lot on this thread. thanks a lot. good luck.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I'm not gonna take the rest of the drive off. Sorry did that once this year.

That is fine, you will just want to make sure everything is set up properly. Control in forward, that will make sure the intermediate shaft is in the proper position. Turn the lower shift shaft (small splined shaft in front) all the way clockwise, that will put the lower in forward. Turn the prop counterclockwise til it locks and wrap with a bungee to keep it locked in forward. Should go together correctly and if you have to turn the prop a bit to line up the driveshaft splines, turn counterclockwise only to keep it locked in forward, so the intermediate shaft will slip over the lower shift shaft in the proper position. Good luck

 

[havoc_squad]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

Aligning the splines is the easy part and most of those tips should help you get it to fit. Always in forward when removing and installing it.

The hard part, at least for the Gen 2 Alphas is the water pickup tube alignment and keeping that barrier piece to stay on the upper housing when attaching the lower unit.

 

[achris]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

Aligning the splines is the easy part and most of those tips should help you get it to fit. Always in forward when removing and installing it.

The hard part, at least for the Gen 2 Alphas is the water pickup tube alignment and keeping that barrier piece to stay on the upper housing when attaching the lower unit.

This is an Alpha One we are dealing with, not a Gen II.... The Alpha One has no 'barrier' in the upper housing.

 

[acdc96]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I have the drive at a angle (45 deg) would it be better if it were vertical?
Yep replaced all the gaskets.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

pm`d you

 

[acdc96]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

???

 

[achris]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

I have the drive at a angle (45 deg) would it be better if it were vertical?
Yep replaced all the gaskets.

No, tilt it full UP.

 

[acdc96]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

Done!!!
It's on and shifts.
I had to drop the unit down once to align the shifter.
And I had a surprise too. The last person who worked on the water pump forgot to take the water tube guide off and their was two on their. Got that off and went to start it and the battery was dead.

THANKS EVERYONE

 

[havoc_squad]

Re: Just rebuilt water pump on alpha drive & the LU won't go back on

This is an Alpha One we are dealing with, not a Gen II.... The Alpha One has no 'barrier' in the upper housing.

Understood, was just a minor detail rambling while commenting on the common issues experienced for either Gen 1 or Gen 2 Alpha One lower unit installs into the upper housing.