Alpha I gen 2: newly acquired boat, couple of questions.

[jesse_boston]

Hi!
I just brought home a 1995 Doral 230 EX / Mercruiser 5.7 (carb... not sure which carb, with thunderbolt ignition), Alpha I Gen 2.

I was watching some videos to learn about maintenance on the outdrive and in one of the ones showing gear oil replacement, the guy had to lean against his drive to push it against the stops to be able to put enough pressure on the screwdriver to remove the drain and vent plugs.

I can't move my outdrive at all side to side when it is sitting on the trailer with the engine off... should I be able to?
Maybe something is over-torqued? Or Is this because I have power steering and maybe the boat in the video didn't have it?

Second question:
Any idea what the holes in this photo are for? Maybe someone put on a hydrofoil at one point and then took it back off?

Also, how quickly do I need to replace this cracked anode, and the missing cap on the tilt piston?

Thanks all!

 

[Searay205]

looks like someone had a whale tale or hydrofoil on it.

 

[Furbird]

My 4.3 alpha one gen 2 moves easily side to side, and I have power steering. Could be a lack of proper maintenance, over-tightening something, but most likely corrosion judging by that picture.

More than likely a hydrofoil. This is why I went with a no-drill option on mine.

I don't think the cap is an issue (I'm missing one) because all it does is snap over it. It's not water tight or anything, but I'll let somebody else chime in on that since I'm fairly new to the boating scene as well. The anode is sacrificial so while I don't think it's anything to keep you out of the water, I would say put it on the winter replacement list. I'm assuming this was a saltwater boat judging by that amount of corrosion.

 

[GA_Boater]

Fill and vent screws are tight, but shouldn't so tight to do what the video guy did. Be leery of Youtube videos, many will give bad advice.

A whale tail was on the drive at one time and those are the mounting holes.

Right above the anode on the top there is a hole which may have a plastic plug. Remove the plug and there an allen bolt, 3/8" if I remember. Remove the bolt to replace the anode. Anodes are cheap and help protect from corrosion.

Is the missing cap on trim cylinder like the one we can see in the photo? If yes, that is an another anode.

 

[ThomW]

1. Don't worry about not being able to "push" the outdrive from side to side from behind the boat. If it turns easily with the steering wheel and power steering, you are all set. Maybe it needs a little lube, but if it turns easily from helm, i would not worry too much.

2. They are holes from a hydrofoil/whale tale that was on there at some point--you are correct.

3. The cracked anode wont cause any "harm" to the outdrive. It will allow water to get to bolt underneath it, but that is not a huge issue. Same with the cap on the end of trim arms. No harm will come from that plastic piece being gone. It just covers the nut and makes it look nice.
The anode is cheap enough and easy to fix. Buy it when you can and swap it out. Their real purpose it to prevent corrosion on other parts of the outdrive. The react to the slight electrodes caused by water, metal, and minerals when boat is in water. Usually made of zinc, the sacrifice themselves and protect the other parts of the motor form being affected or corroding.

 

[jesse_boston]

Thanks! I'll get an anode and cap ordered up, but won't worry about running it as is. I think the plastic cap to get access to the anode bolt is also missing, so i might pick up one of those while I'm at it.

@GA: the cap on the left trim cylinder is black plastic, so I doubt it has any anode in it.

Boat has been out of the water for 3 years, but the guy cleaned, dewinterized, greased, changed oil etc every year, then winterized again in the fall. He really wanted to go out, but was just too busy. He was the type with a clean yard and a recently completely rebuilt and repainted '70s Camaro in his garage, which was converted to a paint booth for the car, so I felt pretty good about trusting that he wasn't lying about the things he said he did. Boat was in better condition than he described over the phone.
I'm still worried I'll find a giant leak when I try to float it tonight though, just from sitting and something getting brittle from non-use.

 

[GA_Boater]

I could only go by the pic that didn't show the missing cap. LOL

Don't worry about the plug for the anode bolt. Only about 1 in a hundred still have the plug and it doesn't keep water out.

 

[tpenfield]

At some point you will want the manuals for the engine and outdrive. They can be found online (sort of) . . .

That's how I learned . . . manuals, Youtube, Forums . . . still learning as I go.

You boat in Boston Harbor ( 'Hahbah' ) ???

 

[jesse_boston]

Will be eventually!
test floated today, water coming in between the outdrive and the engine somewhere.
What are the likely culprits? Bellows and transom seals come to mind, but I've never had a stern drive boat before

 

[tank1949]

Thanks! I'll get an anode and cap ordered up, but won't worry about running it as is. I think the plastic cap to get access to the anode bolt is also missing, so i might pick up one of those while I'm at it.

@GA: the cap on the left trim cylinder is black plastic, so I doubt it has any anode in it.

Boat has been out of the water for 3 years, but the guy cleaned, dewinterized, greased, changed oil etc every year, then winterized again in the fall. He really wanted to go out, but was just too busy. He was the type with a clean yard and a recently completely rebuilt and repainted '70s Camaro in his garage, which was converted to a paint booth for the car, so I felt pretty good about trusting that he wasn't lying about the things he said he did. Boat was in better condition than he described over the phone.
I'm still worried I'll find a giant leak when I try to float it tonight though, just from sitting and something getting brittle from non-use.

I'd worry about gas crap in tank. 3 years is a long time to turn gas to crap. If tank is sealed in foam, get ready to smell leaking gas when you fill it up. I hope not, but odds are against you. Start by 1/4 fill and then add and run fuel through filter a couple of times to clean out old crap into filter. Throw away filter and start again. Good luck!.

 

[jesse_boston]

He was running it every year in the driveway, had stabilizer in the fuel. I added 20gals, the vapors coming out smelled like good gas

 

[jesse_boston]

I won't be surprised if I end up with a clogged filter or needing to rebuild the carb after a couple trips though.

Bellows don't look great... They were new 3 years ago and were only taken out on the water 3 times.
Is this because he used aftermarket bellows, and would OE mercruiser rubber last longer?
I don't want to just get myself back into the same situation in a couple years.

 

[nola mike]

Will be eventually!
test floated today, water coming in between the outdrive and the engine somewhere.
What are the likely culprits? Bellows and transom seals come to mind, but I've never had a stern drive boat before

Bellows yes. Bad transom seals are often the result of a rotten transom. I wouldn't touch the boat until you can definitively rule out the transom and find the source of the leak. Wait, rereading...did you already buy it?

 

[Rick Stephens]

When you replace any rubber parts, use OEM Mercruiser. Easier to install and a world of difference in longevity.

Gotta worry about a rotten transom and stringers. First thing to do is while on the trailer, stand on the outdrive and bounce up and down on it as hard as you can. A transom should not even so much as vibrate. let alone the drive move. Don't worry about damaging anything, the drive takes dozens times more force in use.

More accurate than that is to drill a few holes in the inside transom and stringers and see what kind of wood or mush you get out. Easy to plug holes with some 5200 and the shavings will tell you everything.

 

[jesse_boston]

Thanks all for the concern. I did already jump up and down on the outdrive while my partner watched for any movement from the transom: nothing.
i actually spent over two hours poking and prodding and hitting with a mallet areas all over the hull, deck, inside all the lockers, bilge etc because Dorals are balsa core boats. Even drilled a few small holes to look for clean wood and found it. I was planning to fill them with epoxy this week.
Basically I spent almost the whole time I was checking out the boat worried about the hull, and didn't as thoroughly check the bellows as I should have.
I'll drill a couple more holes around the transom plate, and will pick up some 5200 today while I'm picking up the new bellows, and fill them all with that.
I had already planned to pull the outdrive and gimbal to replace the transom seals and re-epoxy the edges of the transom hole this winter.

 

[harringtondav]

Try using a wide blade screwdriver with an adjustable open end (crescent) wrench over the blade to get extra torque. If that doesn't work, get a hammer impact screw breaker. I have one and it's never fail. With the correct seal under the screws, hand tight is all that is needed.

Water coming into the boat needs attention. Per nola mike, bad drive shaft bellows or shift cable bellows will allow water entry. Good practice to replace all three on an unknown boat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Hitting with a mallet does nothing and shows nothing. There will mot be a change in sound until decades after water saturates the wood, rot has started, and the wood completely rots away leaving a void

Moisture meters or drill testing is the only method that works

 

[jesse_boston]

Shift bellows replacement success, thanks West Marine for having the Quicksilver part in stock.

But the boat won't go in reverse, gives an alarm tone and the engine dies. Also dies with alarm tone when coming back to neutral from forward, at least most of the time.
Back to the house!

 

[Rick Stephens]

Check the shift interrupt switch - or better yet, have someone watch it while you shift into and out of gear. If it is not something you know about, read up on how it works in the Adults Only section of this forum.

 

[jesse_boston]

Reading up on the adjustment procedure now. It was clicking, that's what was killing it