storing boat for winter without outdrive

[bashr52]

I've got an exhaust bellows water leak, and a gear lube leak from somewhere on my outdrive. Winter is rapidly approaching and I'm getting ready to winterize and store the boat for the winter. I'm planning on pulling the outdrive and working on fixing/rebuilding whatever is wrong with it over the winter. Anyone see any issues with storing the boat with no drive?

 

[alldodge]

No problems at all for inside, and not an issue for outside so long as the holes are closed up. Don't want any critters crawling in there.

 

[burtonrider11]

I've toyed with doing this also. However, some other (read: more knowledgable) members cautioned me in doing this. There is concern that dirt, snow, ice etc could get in there....I think if you were going to do this, perhaps some sort of cover to go over the opening? You could pretty easily fab some plywood to cover it IMO.

I am sure others will have thoughts on it. I think the main concern is making sure all the internals stay clean and protected....

 

[Scott Danforth]

take a piece of plywood to cover the drive opening in the gimble. done all the time

 

[tpenfield]

Many folks who store their boats in boat yards or other outdoor areas remove the outdrive(s) as a theft prevention measure . . . sometimes those outdrives grow legs during the winter, when nobody is looking

I just shove a oily rag in the bellows to keep the critters out as AD mentioned. Not much about the transom assembly that is going to suffer during the winter - they 'live' underwater during the boating season.

 

[ziggy]

i store mine w/o the drive every winter for the last 8 or so years. no problems.
i did make a cover for my bell housing though.




i used a piece of left over plexiglass from some windshield repair.
cut the plexiglass to fit. use the gasket as a template. cut a hole for the shift lever. i epoxied a vitamin c bottle over the opening. my helm must be in reverse for the cover to fit. cut some hose to fit the studs and use the drive nuts and washers to push the plate snug with the bell housing. ya can use the gasket for the drive if it's mostly intact after drive removal. i suppose ya could get a new one too as that gasket if plenty cheap.

i've gone to storing w/o antifreeze for the past 5 years or so, also w/o ramification.

the cover is pretty easy to make (just a rough cut out as long as it fits) and won't take ya very long to make it. a sabre saw, glue and a sharpie are the things ya need to do the deed.

 

[KJM]

I've done it before, like said above, stuff hole with old rag and in my case I covered the whole transom assembly with a garbage bag and duct taped it into place. Any ideas where the water is getting into your gear oil?

 

[KJM]

Having just saw what Ziggy did, forget the garbage bag and duct tape......do what he did, that's one cool cover!

 

[bashr52]

I've done it before, like said above, stuff hole with old rag and in my case I covered the whole transom assembly with a garbage bag and duct taped it into place. Any ideas where the water is getting into your gear oil?

Not so much water getting in, as its oil getting out. Started out as a slow drain on the reservoir, last time out you could smell the oil and there was a noticeable sheen on the water when parked. There was occasionally a stray milky air bubble floating up to the surface while stopped in the water, not sure where they are coming from.....

Just bought the boat in August, still chasing down a few stray issues I have with it. This is the biggest right now. It has a Reman engine, so at least that expense has been covered already.

 

[airshot]

It was suggested to me to remove the OD over the winter by many I/O owners when I got my first one. The winter is a good time to look over and service your OD while off the boat. Also a great time to drain and refill the lower unit. I keep my OD in a heated garage over the winter and take the time to get a good drain and refill on it. As far as the hole left on the back of the boat...as mentioned just something to cover it up and keep stuff from getting in there. Now in the spring you can do your engine alignment and check over the gimbal bearing, bellows etc as recommended by the mercruiser service manual.

 

[KJM]

If i'm not mistaken, and I certainly could be, there is a small hole that goes thru the transom assembly to your outdrive that acts as a passage for your gear oil to flow thru to the outdrive. This passes thru the gasket on the outdrive mating surface with its own small hole in the gasket. If there was a small tear in just that part of the gasket maybe gear oil could leak out there without letting water into all the other internal cavities? Mine don't have a gear oil reserve so I'm not 100% sure, maybe someone else here could either confirm or deny? If it is so then taking off your outdrive and putting on with new gasket maybe all that's needed.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Ziggy's idea is perfect. Gazzillion ways to fab something up that would do that. I store my boat indoor and just stuff a rag in the bell housing. Outdoors, go Ziggy.

 

[Leardriver]

I always pulled the drive and stored it in the basement for winter until I got a Bravo 3. I don't know if I can get it up the stairs in the spring. A duct tape patch works perfectly.