Do I need to take off outdrive?

[karlt5503]

Wanted to see if I could get some advice. I have a Crownline I/O with SX outdrive. Just got through getting it ready for the winter, and wondered if I need to take off outdrive to grease. The guy at the boat shop recomended that I take it off once a year, to grease bearings and spline and align. It sounds pretty expensive, and not a job I can do.

My question is, do I need to have this done, or can I simply grease the fitting on the outdrive? This is also based on the gear oil looking good when it is drained, no signs of water. I'm still learning and wanted to make sure before I spent the $$.

Thanks

 

[brhodes]

Re: Do I need to take off outdrive?

Advice on here, and the advice I follow, is yes, to grease, check align. But that is for a Merc, assume it's the same for you. After seeing what mine looked like at after I bought it and took it off, I'm fairly sure the previous owner did not follow that advice. Had to do bellows, shift shaft seal, gimble, and input shaft seal etc. Without taking it off, might not have known as soon, caused other damage. Merc is 6 bolts, 6 vertebrea and some cheap new gaskets when it goes back. Good luck.