Water pipe replacement challenges

[Toddavid]

While I had my drive off to refinish some corrosion spots, I decided to overhaul the wear items at the transom. 8 year old boat with no previous service history, so it seemed like the prudent thing to do.

I watched every video I could find out there on the procedures, and read the repair manual a few times. In the videos, they just cut the hoses to make bell housing removal easier, so that's what I did. Everything was going according to plan until I went to remove the water pipe from the gimbal housing. Instead of a plastic stub with a hose clamp, I found a hose disappearing into the housing. I sliced it back to find no coupler at the housing face.

That's when I took a look at the flyer that came with the new water pipe kit.

http://i1066.photobu...zps98dpa7kb.jpg

If I am reading it correctly, the connection for the water pipe is on the engine compartment side. Ugh.

I can't see a thing back there looking from the engine side. How much stuff do I need to remove to get to this connection? Please don't tell me it is an engine out job...

On top of that, the clutch cable was absolutely frozen to the bell housing requiring me to drill it out. With all the special tools I bought to do this job, I'm wondering if I should have just paid a pro to do it.

2007 Chaparral Sunesta 254 with 350MAG
Transom serial 0W717481

 

[Bt Doctur]

guessing this is a Bravo drive.and a frozen/corroded cable in the housing is somewhat normal too.Do you have the manual?

 

[Toddavid]

Yes, Bravo III: 0W914475

So is this doable without removing the engine? Pull the starboard side manifold? Will the steering trim be in the way? I have need to remove some stuff to crawl back there, so I'm not sure what I will see.

 

[Bt Doctur]

cant answer that cause I cant see the layout of your boat. you remove the 2 bolts and the hose connecter, remove the insert, and pull out the hose from the transom end. There is an identical part that holds the hose in the gimbal housing. There has been a ongoing issue with corrosion at that screw fitting causing the hose to get squezzed closed by corrosion. maybe that's why you have a new design.

 

[Bt Doctur]

it looks like you install a fitting over the insert instead of installing it in the hose itself, cant really tell from the pic.
Plus have not installed that new style yet.
Have to run out for a bit, leaving a cell if you need info quick. check your messages

 

[Toddavid]

Thanks for trying to get me your cell, that was very cool of you, but it looks like private messaging is disabled on the site right now.

No responses on the Chaparral owners forum, so I guess it's up to me to determine if my layout will allow access to this connection. Is it typically an engine-in repair? The updated design leads me to believe it may not be. Not sure why they didn't leave some sort of aft connection to begin with, all other wear items on the housing are serviceable from there.

Shift cable: should I apply some aluminum based anti-seize to the collar to prevent future corrosion?

 

[Bondo]

Shift cable: should I apply some aluminum based anti-seize to the collar to prevent future corrosion?

Naw,.... Use Perfect Seal, or Form-a-gasket #3,....