mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

[Groupergulper]

ok I have a 1988 Chris Craft 21.5' center console, 5.7 under the console, drive shaft that goes back to an alpha drive, with a new sterndrive engineering, unit. Just put new gimbal bearing, all new boots, and new limit switches. Took the boat out today and adjusted the shift interrupter switch, and various other things, test drove it for about 3 hours, no problems. I thought, while washing out the motor i saw a tear in the gimbal boot, about 3" across the bottom of the boot, about 3 or 4 wrinkles away from the stern side of the boot. also i noticed that the inner spring , the end of it was at the tear instead of at the end of the bellows. So i do not know y? i do have the trim limit switches installed, and they are working properly, i didnt even run it trimmed up very much? so i have no idea what happened. i am going to order a new boot and gimbal bearing, and new u joints for the shaft as they have salt water in them now. I need to find out why it happened so it doesent happen again. Help!!!!

 

[Bondo]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Ayuh,.... How is the bearing mounted just ahead of the gimbel bearing,..??
The 1 at the aft end of the jackshaft,...

Btw,... 1988 should be an Alpha 1, if it's original....

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

it has a carrier bearing. for the driveshaft.

 

[Bondo]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Ayuh,... I know,... What kinda Shape is it in,..??

Has everything been Realigned,..??

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Was the new ujoint bellows you installed a Mallory part?

i didnt even run it trimmed up very much?

When you say trimmed up, did you mean tilted FULL up? if it was tilted up, it would only take a second to cause problems.

Pull the drive and have a look. That would be the best way to see what happened.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

the new boot was from sterndrive engineering, not sure of the actual brand. yes the carrier bearing appears to be in good shape.
no i didnt run it in a full up position, i have a new trim limit sender, and gauge sender, just installed, and is adjusted according to the book, and the instructions that came with the kit. 21. 3/4" lenght on the tilt cylinder. when i said that i didnt trim it up very much, i mean that once i got the boat on plane, i trimmed the motor up alittle to get the most rpm. from the full down position. which wasnt much. i do have the trailer switch hooked up but use it for what it is intended for. in shallow water i trimmed it up a little 1/4 of the tilt, according to the gauge. but i was still under half of what the limit switches allow. so i really dont know what happened?
I dont want to new boots on again and hhave the same thing happen again.

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

I dont want to new boots on again and hhave the same thing happen again.

Get the OEM bellows. Then you won't have any problems. At work we stopped using aftermarket bellows on the jobs we do in the shop, simply because we got tired of re-do's.
Still sell aftermarket for those that they want to install personally.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

so you think it was just poor quality? Do i have to remove the shaft from the upper unit to replace the 2 u joints?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

If this just happened, there is no need to replace the u joints just because they got some salt water on them. Water in the bellows for a long time? Then yeah, probably so. Just got them wet the last time out? No. Unless they are completely rusted up and loose, I would say they are still in good shape.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

what boots are oem?


it was ran about 50 miles, not sure when boot ripped, or if there is salt water in the ujoints, but dont want to take any chances. can i change them without removing shaft from the outdrive?

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Salt water in the ujoints and gimbal bearing will take them out in 1 trip of 50 miles.

what boots are oem?

The Mercruiser ones. From a Mercruiser dealer.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

all im finding is seirra or mallory

 

[fuzzybob]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

I think the key is Mercruiser Dealer.

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Item #14 from the link below.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury_parts/2203/60.cfm

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

I had the year wrong, its an 1983 so thats r/mr/alpha one right?

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Same one.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

is it possible at the full up position with the trailer switch,(not Running) for the spring to move inside the bellows? if the bellows stretched more than the spring it would move inside the ridges in the bellows. after furthure inspection it appears the end of the spring was grabbed by the ujoints and tore the boot. i know for sure when i installed the bellows the spring was at each end respectively. i wonder if when i had it on the trailer at full up tilt if the spring popped loose from its original location on the transom side leaving that hooked tab of the spring right in line with the ujoints. ?????

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

Nope.

 

[Groupergulper]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

the spring tab from the transom end is at the tear, which is in the middle of the boot at the bottom. so it had to have been caught by the ujoints, just truying to figuire out why so it doesnt happen again.

 

[Don S]

Re: mercruiser pre alpha new gimbal boot tear???

You DO NOT have a common problem. Put a new OEM bellows on, in the correct direction, and never turn the engine over with the drive tilted all the way up and you won't have any problems.