Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

[Drewmeister]

Starting a new thread here, my old one is getting too long. I have replaced the water pump in my lower outdrive on my Merc 170 - Alpha 1 outdrive but I am still not getting flow to the HX. I have checked the HX inlet tube and cooling tube inlet face inside the HX for debris. When I put the earmuffs on the engine and start it, all that happens is that water is going up into the upper drive section (either by water pressure from my garden hose or from the pump I don't know...the pump I hope!) and spilling out there. At this point, I assume I need to pull the upper drive too? So a few questions:

1. What comes out with the outdrive in terms of gears, and is it easily reinstalled?

2. When putting the lower drive back on, I had the engine in full forward gear and lined up the shift gear and housing in the lower drive, but now when I start the engine in neutral, the prop turns slowly? When I put it in forward, the prop spins CCW when viewed aft looking forward) as it should, and CW when in reverse, so I don't think I messed up the shift gear alignment. But why would the prop turn slowly in neutral?

3. My exhaust bellows are severed and need replaced. I assume this is much easier to do when the outdrive assembly is off?

Again, any help is appreciated. Attached is a link to my original thread. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=512385&p=3454181&posted=1#post3454181

Once I have the whole upper and lower drive assembly off, is there anything else I should do while I have it off?

Drew...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

When I put it in forward, the prop spins CCW when viewed aft looking forward) as it should, and CW when in reverse, so I don't think I messed up the shift gear alignment. But why would the prop turn slowly in neutral?

Uh..... that is backwards With the engine running, if you engage Forward the prop should turn clockwise. With the engine off you should be able to manually spin the prop clockwise and if you try to turn it CCW it will lock. The prop spins in neutral, because the oil in the drive transfers some torque to the gears, will not happen once you are in the water.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Once I have the whole upper and lower drive assembly off, is there anything else I should do while I have it off?

You will need a Mercruiser alignment tool to put it back on correctly. You will want to grease the universal joints, and check the gimbal bearing. Unless you want to replace all of the bellows you might consider an exhaust tube in place of the exhaust bellows. If you find a lot of water and or rust in the drivrshaft bellows let us know. Good luck.

 

[alexr254]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Here is a link to the alignment tool on Amazon, its fairly inexpensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Engine-Alignment-Tool-Mercruiser-91-805475A1/dp/B005CW9KVQ

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Thanks Terry and Alex.

Terry, I probably just typed it backwards.

Alex, how does that alignment tool work? It isn't apparent to me looking at the link you sent.

After pulling the outdrive, I got a better view of the bellows and water tube. I already knew my exhaust bellows were broken in two, but also found that the water tube is cut open. Still wonder why SOME water is getting pumped to the HX, but I guess there is enough damage to the water tube to keep the pump from getting any water up to the HX. So, I am going to replace the exhaust bellows and the water tube. Do you know of a kit that has everything included? Would you replace all bellows the bell housing is off the transom assembly? The videos on YouTube by TC Electronics/Marine give some good detail on doing this work. Here is the list of items I plan to buy to reassemble the upper and lower drives and replace the bellows:

- Exhaust (and maybe U-joint and shift cable) bellows
- New water tube
- Bell housing gasket
- Water passage o-ring
- Marine gear lube
- Engine coupler spline grease
- Hinge pin tool
- Bellows adhesive
- Snap-On #7M6A tool (if I can find it?)
- Alignment tool?

Anything else?

Also, when the manuals and videos say to "drain oil from the unit" where is this oil filled from?

Drew...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Here is a transom seal kit:http://www.iboats.com/Mercruiser-Tr...5181468--**********.382130615--view_id.269626

Has everything you need except the hose. 18-3602 for the 3/4 inch hose, measure yours to make sure. They have a kit that has the hoses, but it is a lot more expensive. There is a drain plug in the lower front of the gearhousing and a vent plug in the port side top of the driveshaft housing. You remove both plugs to drain and when you fill, you pump gear lube in from the bottom, until it comes out of the top plug.

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Terry, thanks for the response. The link you sent has several transom seal kits. I assume the only difference between Part # 18-2601 and Part # 18-8205 for the Alpha I is that the 8205 replaces the exhaust bellows with an exhaust tube? Also, the 8205 seems to have alot more clamps and has water tubes included (it looks like it includes both sized hoses). There is also 18-8206 which says it is for Alpha I Gen II, how do you determine if you have Gen II? In the outdrive manual it talks about old versus new style Alpha I drive shafts from the lower unit and mine does not have an o-ring groove, so I have the "new" style Alpha I. Is this a Gen II?

From what I have seen on the videos on the web. I will need a hinge pin tool to remove the bell housing. Do this come with these kits? I don't see it listed.

Drew...

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Also Terry, my drive shaft (lower drive) and gear housings (upper drive) do not have alot of gear lube oil coming out. I am assuming things ran fairly dry? Is the gear lubricant just "marine drive lube", or is there a certain type. I assume the lubricant applied to the drive shafts is a paste like (lithium type grease) while the gear lube is an oil? Sorry for the dumb questions, as you know, I'm new to this!

Drew...

 

[glennj3]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Drew, I have been working on my water impeller and have drained the oil several times trying to get the water cooling system right. You need 80/90 gear oil. Quicksilver makes it but you can get any good quality spec 5 I think it is. You need a small oil pump screw it into the lower hole, remove the upper plug and pump about 1 and a half quarts into it or untill the oil runs out the top. Plug the upper, then remove the pump and quickly replace the plug, make sure the seals are good and are on the screw plug. tighten. I used a regular gear grease for the splines on the shaft.
Good luck the the project.
Glenn

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

There is also 18-8206 which says it is for Alpha I Gen II, how do you determine if you have Gen II? In the outdrive manual it talks about old versus new style Alpha I drive shafts from the lower unit and mine does not have an o-ring groove, so I have the "new" style Alpha I. Is this a Gen II?

From what I have seen on the videos on the web. I will need a hinge pin tool to remove the bell housing. Do this come with these kits? I don't see it listed.

Drew...

Check the serial number, but if you have the original outdrive it is an Alpha 1, the gen II did not come out till 1992.

The tool does not come with the kit. Some guys use a 1/2 inch allen wrench. You may also need to use some heat, the pin may have been put in with licktite.

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Terry and Glenn,

I am going to try to 1/4" allen tonight, if it doesn't work I will get the hinge pin tool. Terry, I did find the correct kit for the transom seals and it comes with both sized water tubes.

As for the gear lube, I have a gear lube pump, but is there a special fitting to screw onto the bottom fill/drain? The pump I have is just teflon tubing. I also have some 80W90 gear lube which I assume is what you are suggesting Glenn?

I do still have a question about the Mercruiser alignment tool...how does the allow one to get the splines aligned? Is it put into the drive housing and splines aligned the marked as to where they are in reference to the drive shaft?

Drew...

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Sounds like you are missing part of the pump. There is a threaded adaptor that goes to that clear vinal line on the pump.:

 

[Pikey23]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

check dons sticky in the adults only section for instructions on how to use the alignment tool. As far as the oil goes you want straight SAE 90. The quicksilver part number is 92-858064q01. I found it at www.Michiganmotorz.com for $11 a quart plus shipping. They are local so I don't pay for the shipping. Everywhere else I looked it was over $14 a quart.

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Thanks Pikey, I have some coming. No marine shops here (at least within an hour). Eric, the gear oil pump I got was fro man auto parts store, so no threaded connection. I will return it and just ordered a Sierra pump. Also ordered a hinge pin tool, since I can't get a 1/2" allen to to work, even with a little heat.

Terry, S/N is hard to read, but I believe it is A488549.

Drew...

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Pikey, so now I am confused as all get out. Why, it I only pulled the upper drive out, would I need to check engine alignment when all I am doing is pulling the drive shaft and putting it back in? Maybe I am missing something here?

Drew...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Terry, S/N is hard to read, but I believe it is A488549.

You should be able to find all your part numbers for your Alpha 1 here: http://www.mercruiserparts.com/selectSerailRange.asp?doc_nbr=R/MR/ALPHA+ONE+(Sterndrive)+1983-1990

 

[glennj3]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Drew
NOf sure what y are using a pin for? Allan wrench?
Y do not need an alignment tool if y only removed the out drive.
Y can get the out drive oil at most any good auto parts stoe. Just remove the name quicksilver & y nock off $ . About $4- 5 a qt. Super Wallmart has the quicksilver oil too.
Not sure of the grade oil called for for the larger out drives but 85/90 was the quicksilver grade at wallmart.
Y need the Allen wrench to remove the trim tab & another bolt in front of the trim tab. I use the closed end of a wrench on the Allen wrench to give me leverage.

 

[Drewmeister]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

Glenn, I am trying to remove the hinge pins to take the bell housing off to replace all of the bellows and water pump tube. I can't get to them without taking the bell housing off.

As for the alignment tool, if you read earlier in the thread, I asked about getting the splines aligned when putting the outdrive back on and someone said I needed an alignment tool, perhaps they misunderstood my question. I was simply asking how to make sure the splines aligned.

As for the gear oil, I will keep what I have, but I really do need the fitting for the gear oil pump, so will return the one I bought and have one on order that has the proper fitting for the Merc outdrive and also will fit on quart bottles (the one I have only fits on gallon bottles).

Drew...

 

[glennj3]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

I could not get the out drive back in alone so just took it to the mechanic. The u joint with the shaft would flap around. If the boat did not have a swim deck & I used some sort of lift I could have done it. Maybe if I had taken the lower unit off, woul have lightened it up enough.
I never have removed the pins or gimbal bearing.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Merc 170 3.7L Cooling Water and Drive Question

As for the alignment tool, if you read earlier in the thread, I asked about getting the splines aligned when putting the outdrive back on and someone said I needed an alignment tool, perhaps they misunderstood my question. I was simply asking how to make sure the splines aligned.

Maybe this was already answered, but you need the alignment tool to make sure the driveshaft goes exactly straight through the gimbal bearing into the engine coupler. If the alignment is off you can ruin the bearing or coupler. Chances are you will not have to make any adjustments, but you should check anyway. I think I know what you are asking about aligning the splines. Once the driveshaft is lined up, if the splined shaft does not slip into the coupler you just turn the prop counterclockwise (the gearcase must be in forward gear) a tiny bit while holding inward pressure on the outdrive and the shaft should slip in when the splines line up correctly. Two people makes this job a whole lot easier.