1989 4.3 175 HP 1.84 Merc Alpha One Restoration.. Am I wasting my time and money?

[kramerpage]

Well I got the Gimbal Assembly on the bench to inspect and disassemble and man its not looking good. Wondering if I should go a different route.
Had to heat up all the trim lines to get them off. They seem to work. They go in and out with slight resistance. No water in the oil although it smelled like rotten eggs.
A lot of corrosion. Trim senders are hosed. Wires were broken. I broke off a stainless screw in the gimbal ring that mounts the sender.Every piece of rubber is split. It all looks original to me. I haven't even got to the hinge pins which I read can be a real bear and the steering arm joint. I'm wondering if the corrosion has really got the best of this assembly. Here's some pics. Any advise? Im not a mechanic and have never done this. I have a Clymer manual but its about worthless. There's more info here than in the manual.Very generic and vague. I would like to restore it. Paint and all new parts. Please look at pics and advise. I need to order the hinge pine tool if I move forwards with this unit. Thanks

 

[alldodge]

As I see it no real short answers. Need to take it apart, clean and inspect. Gimbal ring looks toast but I would still need to remove and clean

 

[PeterB26]

Merc put everything together with red loctite.
You can't take out the smallest screw wihtout a torch. (550 F)


If you are going to service this thing you have to have to take a "destroy and replace" approach.
Heat anything you are about to take apart. Plastic parts and rubber seals are always toast.ALWAYS.
When you have it apart and have broken everything decide if you want to order all the replacement parts or go another way.

Do Not Be Shy... Bust and smash it all... there is no other way with Merc stuff.... the simplest screw is red loctied in from the factory and WILL BREAK before it comes apart unless someone has already done this job before you attempt it.

If you buy new Merc stuff it will be the same problem in 5 years, so get the dealer to tear it down when it is new and on warrentee.
then you might able to service it 5 or 10 years hence.

Otherwise your torch is your best friend. Then smash and break and destroy until it is apart enough for you to fix. . Then write up a parts list and decide if it is worth it.

Peter

 

[Watermann]

^^^ Yeah ok...

Kramer you just need to disassemble the pieces and see what everything looks like. So was this a saltwater boat you got the MC A1 set up from? On the hinge pins, they should have the locktite (the only thing too) and need some heat but yours look plenty greasy so they should not be a problem. If you don't have the hinge pin tool I've heard that an allen wrench socket will work fine. I don't know personally, I have the tool.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Not sure if I would take Peters advice ( Bull in the China shop approach) but he is right on taking it all apart and see what needs replacing. Add it all up and see if it’s worth it. You can get a whole new replacement unit from SEI here on iboats. Anything that lives in Salt water is going to look like that. I have an original 1981 MC-1 outdrive from Merc that needed your typical maintance repairs………so my Merc outdrive has made it wayyyyyy past the 5 yr mark!

Good Luck!

 

[kramerpage]

No Title

The good new Pete is that I own a torch!! Lol Thanks for the comments and advice guys. I am trying to get it all apart and see what's what. This boat was at Lake Erie all its life. Just removed swivel pins with half inch Allen and 3 foot 2 inch steel pipe. Warmed them up a little.

 

[kramerpage]

Merc put everything together with red loctite.
You can't take out the smallest screw wihtout a torch. (550 F)


If you are going to service this thing you have to have to take a "destroy and replace" approach.
Heat anything you are about to take apart. Plastic parts and rubber seals are always toast.ALWAYS.
When you have it apart and have broken everything decide if you want to order all the replacement parts or go another way.

Do Not Be Shy... Bust and smash it all... there is no other way with Merc stuff.... the simplest screw is red loctied in from the factory and WILL BREAK before it comes apart unless someone has already done this job before you attempt it.

If you buy new Merc stuff it will be the same problem in 5 years, so get the dealer to tear it down when it is new and on warrentee.
then you might able to service it 5 or 10 years hence.

Otherwise your torch is your best friend. Then smash and break and destroy until it is apart enough for you to fix. . Then write up a parts list and decide if it is worth it.

Peter

This approach seems to be correct. I'm down to the lower pin on the gimbal ring. I cannot get it to move. I'm trying to drive it downwards so it drops out the bottom. Is this correct. UNCLE...lol

 

[kramerpage]

No Title

This approach seems to be correct. I'm down to the lower pin on the gimbal ring. I cannot get it to move. I'm trying to drive it downwards so it drops out the bottom. Is this correct. UNCLE...lol

I have begun drilling it out. I beat the heck out of it.

 

[kramerpage]

^^^ Yeah ok...

Kramer you just need to disassemble the pieces and see what everything looks like. So was this a saltwater boat you got the MC A1 set up from? On the hinge pins, they should have the locktite (the only thing too) and need some heat but yours look plenty greasy so they should not be a problem. If you don't have the hinge pin tool I've heard that an allen wrench socket will work fine. I don't know personally, I have the tool.

Well I did just that. The cost to restore the five components which is the housing, gimbal ring, gimbal housing, trim cylinders and hoses and the inside transom plate comes to 700.00 for parts and supplies and a lot of labor. I saw I could by one on craigslist in my hometown that looked really clean for 350.00. Of coarse I don't know if it would work or not. So I decided to spend hundreds of man hours and dollars at mine for two reasons.

First reason...When I'm done I will know exactly what I own and its condition.

Second and most important...I am enjoying learning all about the Alpha One drive and the satisfaction of doing it yourself.


Yes Im missing summer walleye season on Lake Erie but I've done that for 40+ years.

Thanks to all the guys for all the advice and encouragement to take on something that I have never had a part of. I would have never done it without you. Just paid the marina like I usually do.