seperating the drive

[kenny80]

im trying to remove my alpha one drive for pressure testing but i cant get it to seperate from the bell houseing. i dont really want to pry or pound on it to much. is there some kind of secret to this? thanks

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: seperating the drive

shifter in fwd gear,DO NOT PRY ANYWHERE .
When was it off last for service?
when was alignment checked last?
did you have a water leak inside the boat?

 

[kenny80]

Re: seperating the drive

yea shifter is in fwd. ive had the boat for 2yrs and never have taken the whole drive off, just the lower for an impeller. so i dont know when it was last serviced or alignment checked. no water in boat just have oil coming from weep hole after winter storage.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: seperating the drive

remove the 6 nuts, reattach rams, with drive lowered all the way insert a block of wood between the cap and the transom housing.
gently raise drive , lower drive , insert more spacing, gently raise drive, lower drive, insert more spacing untill drive is off, remove rams.
dont be surprised to find the gimbal bearing come out with it or your engine alignment is severely off.

 

[kenny80]

Re: seperating the drive

ok thanks ill try that tomorrow, will i have to re align it?

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: seperating the drive

If the bearing comes out....... you will most likely need a new one due to it's condition.
If there's water in the U-joint bellows... you will most likely need a new one due to it's condition.

I wouldn't worry about the gimbal bearing until the drive is off, but plan on getting an alignment tool before the drive goes back on... regardless of the condition of the bearing, alignment should be checked every time the drive is off.

you can pick one up on ebay for as low as 26 bucks:
mercruiser alignment tool | eBay