2006 Mercruiser 3.0 Prop spins when i start it

[finest88]

So I just purchased my fathers Bayliner 3.0 Mercruiser because he gave up on an over heating issue with it at high speeds. I took on the project and after doing a little research yesterday I changed both the Propeller and the impeller. I also pulled a flapper Rod out of the exhaust using a camera and a snake. (Never found the old flapper) When I finally put everything back together I turned on the engine and it started right up but the prop was turning as it was in neutral. When I tried to kick it in drive or reverse the engine tried to stop so I turned it off and now im here with you guys. The prop worked perfect before I did the propeller and impeller job. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

 

[thumpar]

You are probably off some splines with the drive halves. You have to lock the lower in forward and have the shift shoe pointing forward when you put them back together.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Drive should be a GEN II so no splines to be concerned about. Did you remove the complete drive or just the lower?
overheated engines usually melt the shift cable so did the cable work smoothly with the drive off?

 

[finest88]

I only removed the lower half.... Can i test or repair this without having to remove the lower half again and could this have happened because I forgot to put it in forward gear when I removed it?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Thumper thinks its a Alpha 1 drive, I`m thinking its ` Alpha 1 GEN II drive but until you tell us what you have were just guessing

 

[thumpar]

I didn't catch the year before my post. It happened to me on my Alpha gen 1 the first time so I went straight to that when I read it.

 

[finest88]

thank you both for trying to help me with this...i believe its an Alpha one Gen II

 

[Bt Doctur]

did the shift rod enter the upper shoe? drive must be in fwd to install the lower

 

[finest88]

maybe i missed that when putting it back together ... ill take it apart and re-install it. Hopefully i didn't mess anything up. While its apart, do you think i might be able to find the old flapper on the out drive upper end? All i found was the flapper rod in the exhaust with a camera and pulled it out. Or is this something i should start a new thread for? I'm new to all of this but reading through this forum has been teaching me a ton.

 

[thumpar]

The flapper could have fallen out when the drive was previously removed. I don't know if they can work themselves all the way out when assembled.

 

[QBhoy]

Not sure if we have covered this...but the prop will spin when out the water and in nuetral. Not quickly like in gear...but it will spin...especially if an ally prop.

 

[finest88]

Just in case anyone else winds up having this problem here's an update. After changing the impeller i didn't line up the lower half of the outdrive correctly.. A screw driver and 1 small tap from a wrench plus putting the boat in drive did the trick and it slipped right in to place.( you can hear it fall in). I Didn't even have to take it apart again. As for the over heating, I removed the exhaust elbow, recovered the flapper rod and cleaned out all the broken rust chips from the elbow with a flat head and wet vac. I then threw a can of sea foam in the tank, sprayed a can in the carburetor and the boat is purring like a kitten. Took her out 2 days straight and its been riding fine after 2 years of sitting. Thanks for the help.