Mercruiser Drive installation

[alicia]

I have a Mercruiser Alpha One Generation II 1994 drive.
Yesterday I pulled the drive to install a new shift cable bellow, cable, and exhaust hose. The gear was in forward. Today I went to install the spline shaft into the housing and drive. It would not go in for anything past the bearing. Are there any tricks to this?
Side note I could not turn the spline shaft by hand and turning the prop does not move it either. Some manuals said to rotate the prop CW to align the splines. I have not per the manual re connected the lower shift cable at the engine.

 

[Bansheex13]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

Buy an engine alignment tool,and make sure your good with the alignment. When the alignment is verified,grease it up very well and drop back a few feet and give it a boot with your heel.Mine was a little tough going on yeasterday when I installed it also.When I was able to start the bottom threads on the bottom 2 studs I picked up the drive and the top rocked right in.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

ditto on doing the alignment bar. the alignment bar confirms that you have no issue. if it misses. there is some problem somewhere. gimble brg. miss aligned, ft. motor mounts, rear motor mounts.....
side note. prop lock ccw is fwd. cw is rev. freewheel is neutral..... put everything in fwd.....

 

[alicia]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

You said put everything in forward. I must be missing something here. The shift cables on the engine top and remote cable box are all in forward. The stern drive is off the boat. Is there a way that I am missing to put the drive itself in foward. The prop free spins. The unit was unattached with the shift cable in forward.

 

[river 101]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

i had to give mine a good kick to get it back in, it works and everthing runs great

 

[ziggy]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

if the props freewheelin, the drive ain't in fwd. there is a coupler where the upper shift shaft and lower mate.....

that is a pic of a 1 drive shift shaft coupler. it's in neutral. you can see that if your were to try to slide the drive on that ya'd have no hope of mateing the coupler. when if fwd. this coupler faces fore and aft. straight ahead. then, you can mate the two. you need to turn the prop ccw while bringing the shift shaft coupler to the fore and aft position. the remote must be in fwd too. your coupler will look different than mine. mine is old, yers is new......

 

[alicia]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

We could not get the drive up on the bolts. The coupling was about 2 inches apart and the spline shaft will not go in any further. Also we are having to lift the drive up and the bell housing moves. Is there a certan angle that is better to install. The front of the trailer is down so we cannot get the bell housing any higher. Thanks for any info.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

build i a drive stand.....

i didn't even have to give it a kick. put the drive on by myself. raise and lower the trailer to desired height, push it on....... there are many folks here that have done there own drive stands. mine is one of the more primitive i think.....

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

You said put everything in forward. I must be missing something here...... Is there a way that I am missing to put the drive itself in foward. The prop free spins.

Yes you are missing the part of putting the outdrive in forward gear as well. You can do this by hand with the outdrive off of the boat. There is a "shoe" (shown in the picture above), that needs to be turned so it faces forward - turn it clockwise when looking down at it from above. You also need to turn the prop counterclockwise till it locks in place. This puts the outdrive in forward gear and lines everything up so it goes into place.

As mentioned above, you want to put some grease on the splines of the driveshaft - (but not any at the very end otherwise it can keep it from going all the way on). Also make sure the oring on the driveshaft is good and lubed, because it can get caught up in the gimbal bearing.

Sounds complicated... and it can be a challenge if you are trying it by yourself. But once you understand how it all goes on.... it gets easier with practice.

 

[alicia]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

We got the part where the shift shaft shoe fits into the slot at a forward position. We cannot get the splined shaft in far enough to get those parts to mate. We have not got the bolt holes up on the housing studs. We are currently looking for some sort of hoist.

 

[wire2]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

If the leg came off easily, I expect the alignment is ok, (although a test with a bar is still a good idea).
I think you're just getting interference with the male/female spline. That's why you need to get the leg in FWD so you can turn the prop AND turn the shaft. It's only ~9? from one spline rib to the next so a fraction of a turn of the prop will do it.
Keep a bit of pressure on the leg as you turn, I think it will drop in up to the O rings for you. Then give it a boot if it needs it. Check the shifter, then do up the nuts.

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

Just one addition to the good advice you've already received. Double check that you removed the old thick O-ring seal around the drive. If you left it in, in could be canted and holding the drive away. Good luck. Hy

 

[alicia]

Re: Mercruiser Drive installation

Finally I was able to move the splined shaft and getting it aligned. It worries me that I tried that yesterday and could not budge it. The drive is on which is really good since it is over a 100 degrees outside. We didn't need a hoist either. Thanks for the replies.