Alpha I upper gear replacement

[andres arzola]

I have a '89 3.0l Sea Ray that I just bought a few months ago. The boat had run great until the last outing when I heard a loud clank and the the boat stopped moving and would not engage gears. Upon further inspection of the upper gear housing I found that the top gears were completely stripped. Is this something I can fix myself or do I need special calibration tools to replace the gears?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

Is this something I can fix myself or do I need special calibration tools to replace the gears?

ya may be able to do it yourself. service manual 6 has the instructions in it. you'll also likely need to go through the lower too since the gear lub is shared by upper and lower. the metal fragments from the meltdown will be in both...

what i think you'll find is that ya can buy a sei replacement drive (from iboats) for around 1200. that'll be cheaper than ya will be able to buy all the tools + the parts for to do it proper...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

or do I need special calibration tools to replace the gears?

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,....
It's a quite Involved process using many specialized tools...
And,...
The lower unit needs atleast a thorough Cleaning,+ resealing...
All the metal from the ground gears migrates to the lower...

The price of the aftermarket drives now a days is cheaper than having an old 1 Rebuilt....
Search up SEI drives,... They have 'em here at iboats,... Very competitively priced too....

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

the price of an SEI drive is also significantly cheaper than buying even the minimum tools you need to do it yourself... let alone any parts...

 

[ziggy]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

then there's the warranty on the new sei's too..... sure makes it look lucrative....

 

[andres arzola]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

Thanks for the tips. How can I clean out all the metal shavings from the lower unit? Also, I found no gear lube in the upper housing when I opened it up. I had just recently changed the lube and topped off. Where could the lube go with no obvious leaks? And could have caused the gears to completely strip?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

How can I clean out all the metal shavings from the lower unit?

Ayuh,... Disassemble it,+ Clean,+ inspect each piece...

Also, I found no gear lube in the upper housing when I opened it up. I had just recently changed the lube and topped off. Where could the lube go with no obvious leaks?

Pressue/ Vacuum tests tell that answer...

And could have caused the gears to completely strip?

Yes...

 

[andres arzola]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

How do I find out what the gear ratio is, exact parts etc. I think I have an Alpha I Gen I. (this is my first boat) I cound not find SEI drive in iboats.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

Just above your original post, click on the link that says Mercruiser Drive Assemblies.
You have a 3.0L the gear ratio is 1.98: 1

 

[andres arzola]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

I found an older model Alpha I Gen I. The person selling the outdrive, says it is a standard 1:98:1 gear ratio. First of all, will an older outdrive retrofit mine? How can I verify the gear ratio? As I pulled my outdrive off, I found a piece of rubber shoe heel. About 1.5" by 1.5". How could this have affected my engine performance, if any at all?

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

I found an older model Alpha I Gen I. The person selling the outdrive, says it is a standard 1:98:1 gear ratio. First of all, will an older outdrive retrofit mine? How can I verify the gear ratio? As I pulled my outdrive off, I found a piece of rubber shoe heel. About 1.5" by 1.5". How could this have affected my engine performance, if any at all?

You could possibly go to an older drive, but why? I also believe the input shaft may be of a slightly different length between years. Others that know way more than I can comment further.

With the outdrive off, by turning the shaft 1.98 turns, the propeller should make one revolution, but you cant do that with your upper gears toasted.

You do know that the drives sold on here have a 3 YEAR warranty?
I dont know how much $$$ this used drive will cost you, but how do you know the condition it is in, you may be out 400-500 bucks and right back to square one if the used drive wasnt cared for or is on its own last leg..

 

[andres arzola]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

You are right, it is a gamble. And the will to buy a new outdrive is there but not the money. As soon as I get a $ break, I will invest in one. $360 vs. 1300? I visually inspected the gears, fill plug seals, pressure test and the new impeller. Everything seems to have checked out ok.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

I found an older model Alpha I Gen I. The person selling the outdrive, says it is a standard 1:98:1 gear ratio. First of all, will an older outdrive retrofit mine? How can I verify the gear ratio? As I pulled my outdrive off, I found a piece of rubber shoe heel. About 1.5" by 1.5". How could this have affected my engine performance, if any at all?

Nope,... An older Alpha won't fit on a Gen.II.....

The rubber shoe heel is the exhaust shutter,...
It's Supposed to be mounted at the top of the downpipe...
Your motor has been run Without water being supplied,...
Or, the impeller is Shot...

 

[andres arzola]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

My boat came with an Alpha I Gen I not Gen II. How can I tell if the drive I want to buy is Gen I or Gen II. What exactly is that " shoe heel" called so I can buy one and replace it? Also, What is that substance to seal the bellows called?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha I upper gear replacement

Ooops,.. My mistake,... Somewhere I came up with Gen.II....
An 89 is Not... You need an Alpha 1, in 1.98:1 ratio...
Yes, you can retrofit to an older drive...

What exactly is that " shoe heel" called so I can buy one and replace it?

The exhaust water shutter...

What is that substance to seal the bellows called?

Bellows adhesive...