Strongest alpha one u joints

[kartman]

Who makes the strongest alpha ujoints? I run a bayliner 2050 with a mag mpi 350 (330 hp). We usually have about 700-1500#s ballast in it and I'm afraid the standard ones won't hold up.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

Who makes the strongest alpha ujoints?

Ayuh,... That Ain't the weak link,...

Some Bravos run the exact same joints....

It's the top gears, or a bearing that usually gives up the ghost...

 

[kartman]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

I'm going to have to check my alignment then. Cause the last set only lasted a season. I did the bellows and gimble the same time I put my motor in last spring.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

Cause the last set only lasted a season.

Really,..?? Were they greased,..??
Get Wet,..??
Gota picture,..??
How Bad are they,..??

 

[kartman]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

i might of been running trimmed up to far. when i swapped in the mag mpi, i never hooked up the trim limit switch. at the end of the season, when i turned, it would start to growl and vibrate. probably my own stupid fault, but what is done is done. when i get it pulled, i will post up some pictures of them. i vaguely remember them not having grease zerks, but i could be wrong.

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

I'm going to have to check my alignment then. Cause the last set only lasted a season. I did the bellows and gimble the same time I put my motor in last spring.

Did you ever check the alignment after those new installs?

 

[brhodes]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

If you think you may have been trimmed up too far, you probably were. When i bought my boat the limit switch was toast, I used it probably 5-6 times before I decided to do the bellows etc. at which time I replaced the limit switch. After the install while setting the limit per the instructions, I was really surprised at the small amout of trim I could add before the switch would kick in. This could very well be your problem. You have about 70 more horses than my rig, but it still may apply. I think I've read before that it may be ok to run at idle with a little more trim than the switch allowed, but that to use much/any throttle beyond that point was a poor decision. +1 on the alignment comment as well. Good luck.

 

[kartman]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

i did align it after i put the new engine in. it took F O R E V E R by my self. in the boat, out the boat, in the boat, out the boat, repeat many many times. but either way, when i replace them, im going to wire in a new limit switch, and new ujoints and gimble. are the standard ones that are in the kit on ebay sufficient? or should i get the HD ones?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merc...atQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear#ht_875wt_1165

or these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merc...tQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear#ht_1369wt_1165

 

[Don S]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

It sounds to me like you are depending on that trim limit switch and maybe a trim gauge to know where to trim your drive. If that's the case, then you don't need heavier duty ujoints, you need to learn how and when to use the trim and tilt.
Do you run the engine on muffs with the drive full up? If so, there go your ujoints. ALWAYS trim your drive down to run on muffs or even in the water.
When you are on plane, if you are running the drive high enough to cause the ujoints to make noise, then your speed is probably getting slower and your rpms are getting higher, and the bow is getting higher ----- Time to trim the bow down so you get best rpm and best speed.
Are you making high speed turns with high rpms and the drive turned all the way against the lock so the ujoints rumble, if so, SLOW down and/or let off the wheel a little so you aren't against the stop.
NO ujoints are going to put up with abuse.

 

[kartman]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

Don, i do not run with the outdrive up on muffs, i drop the outdrive before i start the engine. i do raise the outdrive to clean up the lip of the wake for wakeboarding. and it seems like i have to raise it more when i have the ballast sacks full. when i turn around to pick up my rider, i always come off of plane and idle back around. and i never trim the outdrive for top speed as that is not what this boat is used for. the problem is that the limit switch is either out of adjustment, or not hooked up properly. the trim gauge in the boat has never worked and is on my list of things to fix before this season starts.

 

[Don S]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

Hey, I had to ask, I sure have no clue how you operate it.

Do you by some chance have water in the bellows when you pull the outdrive off?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Strongest alpha one u joints

i'm mostly have questions.

I run a bayliner 2050 with a mag mpi 350 (330 hp).

isn't that about 30hp over the generally considered max hp rating of a alpha1. i understand it's gears and brgs that don't like the extra hp too. i don't know about the ujoints. if bravo and alpha are the same. that would seem unlikely..

We usually have about 700-1500#s ballast in it

since yer wake boarding. i assume the weight is aft. seems like a lot of weight. don't that make ya go bow high when ya take off. sounds like extra work for everything to me.

I'm going to have to check my alignment then. Cause the last set only lasted a season.

i'm under the impression that's a once a year inspection. if it were off, i would think the coupler would be affected, not the ujoints.

i might of been running trimmed up to far.

why do you think that. you ventilating? pointing bow ski high during hole shot? do you porpoise? do you ventilate in turns?

i never hooked up the trim limit switch

you shouldn't need a limit switch. you should be able to tell by how your boat performs. you go to high, adverse affects happen.

when i turned, it would start to growl and vibrate.

growl does sound like a description for a bum gimble brg. who installed it. was it done proper? turned and vibrate does sound like a description for bum ujoints. how old is the boat? maybe it is time to R&R them.

i do raise the outdrive to clean up the lip of the wake

perhaps trimming is done different for when your wakeboarding. but i have trim full in till i get to about the speed i wanna go, then trim up for max rpm. speed increases as this occurs as the boat lifts further out of the water. trim to high and rpm increases w/o speed increase, ventilation occurs, bow high occurs, porpoising can occur.

and it seems like i have to raise it more when i have the ballast sacks full.

where are the sacks? back, middle, ft. my guess is back, which i'd think would mean more trim in to maintain proper plane.

like i said, just observations and questions out of me.
as for the hd ujoints. i wasn't aware they came heavy or not heavy. when i did mine, i just went oem. the assy. looked similar to the one ya got marked hd. mostly similar since i got both straight and offset grease zerks and extra c clips with the oem product.

good luck with her...
http://www.clubmarine.com.au/internet/clubmarine.nsf/docs/mg19-2+technical