seized alpha 1 gen 2

[NOSLEEP]

Hello gents

I have a 3.0l Alpha I Gen II. The oil in the out drive has become low, not sure where it went as there are no visible leaks externally or water intrusion. The drive started to whine and chatter then seized stalling the engine. At the top of the drive the 4 bolt housing cap looks burnt and the paint has cracked and changed appearance and looks a lot like it had become very hot. I believe the bearing under the cap has failed due to the low oil level. I have spent some time trying to find a link to a repair manual for the drive so i can see what I need to do to get at that bearing at the top of the drive as well as determine if it is the best option to try and fix it or replace the whole unit. Any help would be extremely appreciated....

Steve.

 

[achris]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Sounds like a replacement drive is going to be the cheapest and quickest way out... Look for SEI brand. I think for a Gen II they are about $1600...

Remove those 4 bolts from the top cover of the drive and lift the top cover... I'm guessing what you find will not be pretty.

Drive service manual -> https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...YWRiNy00ODUyLWFmNzgtMTBmMzhlNGY4Mzk3&hl=en_US

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Thanks achris. I believe you are right I will be looking for a new out drive. Is SEI brand an after market manufacturer or a rebuilder?
And thanks for the manual link, it looks like a good manual.

 

[achris]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Thanks achris. I believe you are right I will be looking for a new out drive. Is SEI brand an after market manufacturer or a rebuilder?

They build there own... Merc knock-offs... and damn good from all accounts, with a full 3-year warranty... (better than you get with a brand new Mercruiser. )

And thanks for the manual link, it looks like a good manual.

It should be, it's the Merc genuine....

Chris.....

 

[rickryder]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

I just installed an SEI Alpha 1 on my boat. It's a nice unit for the $$

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Update: Took the drive off this morning and the lower end had roughly a quart and a half of oil in it. No shavings or metal particles on the lower plug magnet and no water or contamination of any kind. Lower end is in good condition. The upper drive bearings ares seized and dry none of the bearings had come apart. The top cap on the upper drive is damaged as the upper bearing has spun and destroyed the seat, so I will only have to replace the upper drive. I am concerned about some of the reports I have read regarding the higher horse power engines that have damaged or ongoing problems with drives made by SEI. I haven't come across any articles or posts with negative feed back on the SEI Alpha 1 Gen 2 replacement drives. If anyone has any experience with the upper drive performance & reliability of the SEI brand I would appreciate if you would chime in. Thanks

Steve.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

With the waranty they offer I would'nt have a second thought on purchasing one especially in your case.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

I second the SEI recommendation. No problems whatsoever and half the price of a merc unit. Looks identical and works great. Replace upper and lower because the lower will fail soon enough and you save money on a whole drive vs buying half at a time.

 

[achris]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

If the top end has seized and you plan on re-using the lower, just make sure you flush that lower out good and proper... Any metal lost from the upper will likely make it's way down... Personally, I'd be opening up the lower and cleaning each part individually. Then reassembling with all new seals... But that's just me... Then doing pressure and vacuum tests on the whole things to make sure you don't lose another upper...

Did you find out why you lost the oil? And why the alarm didn't fire off when the oil in the monitor disappeared?

Chris......

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Update: Chris, I lost the oil through the shift seal/shaft. I have ordered a SEI upper. They tell me it will be here in 2 business days. Wow!
I wanted to order a New Merc upper from iboats but they informed me they don't ship to Canada and I would have to go to the U.S. to pick it up or have it shipped through customs by a third party. SEI shipping charge to my door was only $111.00 including brokerage fees. Hope it all works out as they indicated it was not a problem they ship world wide. I will flush out the lower unit any recommendation for a fluid to flush with...

Steve.

 

[achris]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

I'd use diesel, flush through a few times, then flush that out with oil, a few times.... Fill with High Performance Gear Lube, use the boat once and drain it, and refill it again....

Chris........

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Thanks Chris, I will do that. Will post back after water run...

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

Update: The new SEI upper drive arrived today and I installed it this evening. Everything went well and the drive went on without a glitch. I am very impressed with the service from SEI and the look and fit. I ordered the drive on Tuesday and it was here today 'Thursday' at 1:00 O'Clock. No import duty as it is manufactured in the U.S. so just shipping and local taxes. Will put the boat back in the water Saturday morning. I haven't even missed a day of fishing. Thanks for all the great responses and the advice. I will break it in as recommended and I am confident that the drive will work as expected. I am very pleased so far...

Steve

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: seized alpha 1 gen 2

The new upper drive water test went well. I put 5 hours on the drive on Saturday. The drive started out considerably louder than the original drive but quieted down as the hours progressed, hopefully it will quiet right down after another 4 or 5 hours.

Steve.