HELP I bought a cobbled up boat

[Dmpaul89]

Hi guys, new to the forum. Need some advise. I am trying to decide weather or not to save a 1992 Chaparral ski boat. It has the mercruiser 3.0. I bought it as one of those too cheap to good to be real late night deals. My girlfriend found it on facebook and we picked it up for $250 bucks. Its a sporty neat looking boat, but has major issues.... After pulling it home I discovered that The previous owner had swapped the outdrive AND Gimbal housing from a old mercruiser 165 (im guessing mid 80's) boat. He said he was having trouble with the shift linkage.... I didn't notice it was the wrong outdrive! Soo my main question is, can this setup even possibly work? a gen 1 gimbal housing and outdrive on a gen 2 boat???

 

[Rick Stephens]

If they got it to mount up then it probably is a Alpha 1 transom. The shift linkage is very much different between the bell housing and the outdrive between a Alpha 1 and a Gen II. What's the serial number on the transom?

Sounds like a good deal if the thing floats :^)

Rick

 

[flipbro]

At 250 there's lots of wiggle room. Is the floor and transom solid

 

[Dmpaul89]

ok I guess I just assumed it was a gen 2 boat? What im thinking now is maybe its a gen1 boat with a Pre alpha gimbal housing? The thing that most concerns me is the previous gimbal housing had 2 bolts on the top and this older housing does not. So there are only 4 bolts holding it on to the transom presently, the top 2 Holes are just filled with caulk.

 

[Dmpaul89]

floor and transom are fine Flipbro. Interior is shot though

 

[Dmpaul89]

when did they come out with alphas? and when did gen 2 start? trying to figure out in fact what my boat should have

 

[Dmpaul89]

ok sorry to go back and fourth, but after looking at ebay pics I have determined my boat indeed should be an gen2 but I have a gen1 gimbal housing (ring) and outdrive. The Alpha 2's have the two top bolts that The older drives no longer have. looks like the guy simply bolted it on an ran the shift cable up to where the the linkage is so all the shifting is old style. So im back to my original question of can this setup be used or do I need to find a gen2 transom assembly with outdrive?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... No reason it shouldn't run just fine,....

Ya just gotta buy yer parts for the Alpha 1, not the Gen.II that was there originally,.....

Water pumps, 'n shiftin' linkages are very different in the drives, 'n the related linkage for shiftin' in the gimbal,...

 

[Dmpaul89]

Thanks, So Your saying it should shift then with the Gen2 linkage on top of the motor? Im guessing the cable ends are the same for gen1 and 2 and that the difference isn't till you get to the outdrive? The way he has it set the boat is stuck in forward in all throttle positions, I unhooked the shift cable on top of the motor and I can shift it manually. Does it just need adjusted or is the "throw" of the gen 2 linkage different?

 

[Rick Stephens]

Cables are identical, shifter is identical. The changes are in the outdrive and gimbal housing itself.

You might watch achris's linkage adjustment video - works with all Alpha models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_tgevX2aI

Rick

 

[alldodge]

The thing that most concerns me is the previous gimbal housing had 2 bolts on the top and this older housing does not. So there are only 4 bolts holding it on to the transom presently, the top 2 Holes are just filled with caulk.

Transom assembly is held by only 4 bolts instead of six, top two holes are filled with caulk, as a non-expert I'm thinking Gen 2 transom plate

I'm also thinking nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti