Winter Drive Position

[bruceb58]

Re: Winter Drive Position

WHY ???????

"You Should" isn't much of a reason.

Don doesn't give you any slack or mince his words

1) Easier on the bellows because they are in their relaxed position.
2) Easier on the shift cables, because they are also in their less curved positions.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Yep if your not pulling her outta the water or down the road... Down!!! See what happens.. Get a hole in it.. Makes a mess of stuff.. Mainly your weekends..
Crack your lower.. ....Leave it down...

 

[John_S]

Re: Winter Drive Position

fair enough...

as stated by others. up stretches out the bellows and it snows a fair amount around here. so if up, the exhaust cavity would fill with snow, eventually melt and refreeze. i don't want to take a chance of breaking my lower...

other reasons. with my drive off and in the basement. no one is likely have access to it to steal it. i also defer maint to a degree. usually end up doing my impeller in the middle of the winter. something boat oriented to do when it's snowing out.

Basement: "Hey, it was a poll, and that is my write-in candidate!

I'd add that the Merc maintenance recommendation is to check engine alignment once a year. Pulling the drive is pulling the drive. Might as well pull in Fall and store, and check alignment in the Spring before re-installing. It also gives you an early heads up if there was any leaking into u-joints. And agree totally on the 3-year pump replacement cycle, much easier to do with drive off and in the protected area of the basement.

Drive off also allows for good paint prep and painting. Or at least touch-up of nicks and dings. Add cleaning or anode replacement, too. If so inclined, can do a yearly pressure test to make sure drive seals are good. Even if that work is beyond your skills, it will id an issue early and you can have the drive fixed during the slow season, or wait in the long queue in the Spring.

The only negative, is the weight to carry the drive down the stairs.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Winter Drive Position

I'd add that the Merc maintenance recommendation is to check engine alignment once a year. Pulling the drive is pulling the drive. Might as well pull in Fall and store, and check alignment in the Spring before re-installing. It also gives you an early heads up if there was any leaking into u-joints.

once ya got the alignment bar, and the drive is removed. it's pretty easy to run the alignment check. i check in fall and spring. + running the bar in fall introduces some fresh spline grease to the coupler.
agreed. inspection for any signs of rust or water intrusion is a must too.

And agree totally on the 3-year pump replacement cycle, much easier to do with drive off and in the protected area of the basement.

i R&R my impeller yearly. isn't that easy to go look at and makes me feel better having a new one for the next season.

If so inclined, can do a yearly pressure test to make sure drive seals are good.

agreed there too. i'll pressure test prior to disassembly to go get the impeller to see if there might be an issue prior to servicing. + again after the service to see if i did it correctly.

The only negative, is the weight to carry the drive down the stairs.

that's what 21 year olds sons are good for.. i offer to help and have 2 of us bring the drive in and out. but my son insists it's easier for him to just 'man' handle it... that works for me for sure. i'll bring along the drive stand, it's much lighter...

Drive off also allows for good paint prep and painting. Or at least touch-up of nicks and dings

that part i could use a little work on... maybe this year i'll do that. i need to...

i'll add. removing the drive allows ya to inspect the gimble brg. too. give it a feel for nice and smooth. + grease the ujoints of course.

imho. there's sure a lot of reasons to pull the drive + store it in a secure and dry environment.

i also made me a bell housing cover for winter storage. keeps the snow out.

 

[98Shabah]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Down.. My bellows are 12 years old with no leaks, if the boat isn't being towed, the drive is down.

 

[kellmike626]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Down. I don't know anyone who stores it in trailer position at all. Kind of a common sense thing if you are a regular boater.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Winter Drive Position

You guys that remove the drive, what are you doing to cover the bellhousing opening?

I am planning on storing on the stand in the basement this winter and would like to see what is used out there for protecting the gimbal brg. from any possible exposure to moisture.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Winter Drive Position

what are you doing to cover the bellhousing opening?

made with matching windshield plexiglass (cokebottle green). a vitamin pill bottle epoxyed to the plexiglass for the shift slide. reuse the old bell housing gasket. cut off some rubber hose to proper leangth and use the drive nuts and washers to hold it on.

they also sell a bell housing cover on the www. somewhere. google?
bet ya can make one out of near anything flat... wood?

I don't know anyone who stores it in trailer position at all.

both dealers in my area do.... why, i have no idea. i'll have to get some pics this winter..

My bellows are 12 years old with no leaks

imho, yer treading on thin ice. might not leak this year, but maybe next year....

 

[howlnmad]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Off, hanging on the stand I made for it in the shop. That way I can change the oil and impeller, grease the u-joints and pressure test it. I made a plywood cover for the gimbal to keep the weather and other things out.

 

[John_S]

Re: Winter Drive Position

You guys that remove the drive, what are you doing to cover the bellhousing opening?

I am planning on storing on the stand in the basement this winter and would like to see what is used out there for protecting the gimbal brg. from any possible exposure to moisture.

I picked up a new plastic molded cover off ebay. It was like $5 plus shipping.

I couldn't find any with a quick search. I will post this enening with the company name/part number that is on the cover.

The 1st year, I just duck taped a garbage bag to the bell housing, and pushed the bag into the u-joint and exhaust cavities, then a tape wrap over the 6 mounting bolts. Cleaning the tape residue in the spring led me to buy the cover.

 

[98Shabah]

Re: Winter Drive Position

It's a trailer queen and never spends more than a day in the water. When it starts to dribble I will replace 'em then.

imho, yer treading on thin ice. might not leak this year, but maybe next year....

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Winter Drive Position

So if the hole is at the top of the bellows and it doesn't dribble, what are you going to do when you get water in your drive, wipe out your u-joints and gimble bearing?

 

[JustJason]

Re: Winter Drive Position

1 point that everybody missed is the trim rams.
If you store the drive down (like you should) the trim rams stay in the cylinders where they stay covered with oil and not exposed to the elements and left sitting to corrode.

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Off the boat, on the stands, in the garage. Bellhousings covered with plastic bags and masking tape.

 

[98Shabah]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Don't lose sleep over it, I've seen both bellows with my eyes, they are still ok.

So if the hole is at the top of the bellows and it doesn't dribble, what are you going to do when you get water in your drive, wipe out your u-joints and gimble bearing?

 

[The Dougler]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Well I found the easy solution, since I'm not about to pull the drive and lug it to my basement, I found a mobile shrink wrap guy. Now I can tow the boat to it's storage location, lower the drive and pull the batt and let him wrap it. I'm going to detail the interior tonight, and try to wax it tomorrow before I get it winterized and wrapped.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Winter Drive Position

OK ... here is another point to ponder.. What do y'all think about the reasoning that if you leave the drive down in storage, the bellows get used to being in that position and maybe take a bit of a -set- because they aren't as used to being stretched. [ for lack of better terminology] Now when you put the boat back in service, and you put the drive all the way up, the bellows may want to crack/tear because it hasn't been in that position for so long ??? Does the rubber take a---set---at all? This summer I replaced my U joint and shift cable bellows/cable for the 1st time. It was all the originals. The bellows [both] were still watertight. exhaust bellows disconnected years ago, so not included. Its an 86 model year that i bought in 1990. From 90 -95 I stored the boat outside at my house w the drive down. From 95 till now I have stored the boat in a rented outdoor unheated pole barn and have to leave the drive up so the barn owner can move the boat around. The u-joint bellows had just the tiniest surface cracks in the [ valleys?] if I stretched em out by hand. Not a speck of rust or moisture intrusion inside. Gimbel bearing, u joints and yokes looked pretty much like new. I had replaced u joints in early 90s cuz I thought I heard noise. Before I knew u werent supposed to run boat with drive up [DUH-Rookie] I think they were fine... Anyhow... Thoughts anyone ???

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Winter Drive Position

the bellows get used to being in that position and maybe take a bit of a -set- because they aren't as used to being stretched. [ for lack of better terminology] Now when you put the boat back in service, and you put the drive all the way up, the bellows may want to crack/tear because it hasn't been in that position for so long ???

Exactly.

For what it is worth, I store my boat all the time with the drive up. Have for years. Granted, I don't worry about snow and ice - and I boat year around, but there are months at a time that the boat isn't used. I sometimes lower the outdrive, but I'm always afraid I will forget to raise it when I hook up to go boating that I usually just leave it up. (What can I say? I'm getting old and forgetful. ).

If you replace the bellows before they get too old to worry about cracking and taking a set you should be fine.

BUT - the obvious disclaimer is the ice and snow issue. If that's an issue for you, then I guess it makes sense to leave it down.

 

[Don S]

Re: Winter Drive Position

OK ... here is another point to ponder.. What do y'all think about the reasoning that if you leave the drive down in storage, the bellows get used to being in that position and maybe take a bit of a -set- because they aren't as used to being stretched.

They are manufactured in the down position, that is a non issue. Like Fishermark noted, if you change your bellows as preventive maintenance every 5 or 6 years, then there is not going to be a problem of them taking a set that will hurt anything.
Now, if you want to push the limit of how long the bellows will last, maybe you could take it off and put it in a warm room and massage it weekly with some rubber care product ..................................

This whole thread boils down to just using some common sense.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winter Drive Position

Exactly.

For what it is worth, I store my boat all the time with the drive up. Have for years. Granted, I don't worry about snow and ice - and I boat year around, but there are months at a time that the boat isn't used. I sometimes lower the outdrive, but I'm always afraid I will forget to raise it when I hook up to go boating that I usually just leave it up. (What can I say? I'm getting old and forgetful. ).

If you replace the bellows before they get too old to worry about cracking and taking a set you should be fine.

BUT - the obvious disclaimer is the ice and snow issue. If that's an issue for you, then I guess it makes sense to leave it down.

Hmmmm,.... I'm exactly the opposite,...
The only time my drive is ever above Trim, is on the wagon....
At the dock, it's full, or near full down,... That keeps the Muskrats from eatin' 'em....
Wintertime it's naturally in the down position if the drive is off, or I leave it full down if the drive is still on...

I changed mine last spring,... They were 10 year old Sierra stuff,...
Felt like Jello when I took it off,... Soft' 'n Squishy feelin'...
I doubt they'd have made it this far,...
Shoulda done 'em at the 6 or 7 year mark probably... 8 Tops...
I put new Sierra's back on,... Well, except the shift cable, 'n boot...
After repeated severe beatin's of myself by Don,....
I went with the Factory OEM Super Cable....