Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

E

eja

Cadet
Joined
Jun 2, 2002
Messages
20
Hi..
I've got a 1989 Rinker with a Mercruiser Alpha 1 drive. Saturday at the boat ramp, I noticed the sound of water entering the engine compartment *before* I lowered the drive and started the boat..
It was entering through a little hole (looks like a machined hole) in the transom plate just below where the water intake hose connects. It was trickling in at a steady rate.
When I started the engine, it seemed to make no difference with the flow of water.
We pulled the boat, and started investigating, but I could not find any pictures or explanations in my manual. We decided to pressurize it from inside the engine compartment, and search for a leak at the outdrive, but I had no luck finding a leak. The only thing I notices was that the "bellows" that cover the drive shaft seemed to expand (pressurize) when we applied the 25psi to the hole. I tried soapy water to find the exit, but had no luck. :|
We nervously checked the outdrive fluid, and it appears to be perfect.

Any Ideas?
Thanks!
 
Bt Doctur

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,365
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

Bellows are leaking.Fix ASAP.Plan on replacing U joints and gimbal bearing .
 
J

jedimaster

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
336
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

Bellows leak, I just finished mine the other day. A major pita, about 150-200 for a complete bellows kit, plus ujoints if its rusty, plan on doing it over a weekend, or taking it in to a shop.
You will need some tools.
Oil pump to fill the drive with oil after your done.
Slide hammer/Jaw puller (To pull the old gimbal bearing out.
Alignment tool
exhuast bellows expander(I didn't use one but I am sure it would have helped).
You will also need a special socket(I used a half inch "D-Ring" bolt attatched to a 1/2" x 1/2" socket and breaker bar.

Someone else can post you a link to the actual manual, or you can look up the thread I made when I did mine.
Here is another set up simplified step by step instructions.

http://www.outdrives.com/merc/mdtips03.html

Should definatly do it now before it gets worse.
 
E

eja

Cadet
Joined
Jun 2, 2002
Messages
20
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

jedimaster (or anyone else),
I am pretty much a do-it-yourselfer, but this sounds fairly difficult. I have called some shops, and they are saying at a minimum $350 (parts and labor), plus commonly results in the need for new shift cable if the shifter bellow is messed up too, and trim sender units (which I need anyway), and finally possibly new U-Joints.
:^

Your article mentions that if it is leaking and I can hear noise from the U-Joints when turned all the way R/L, then damage is already there. Do you interpret this to mean the U-Joints need repalced?

Erin
 
E

EarestTBass

Cadet
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
22
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

I just dropped off my 88 Mercruiser today for the same thing, gonna' be around $1000.00. Replacing exhaust bellows, shift cable bellows, u-joint bellows, water hoses, shift cable, & whatever else it needs.
 
M

MelLandry

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
117
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

Deleted
 
paulrfrancisco

paulrfrancisco

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
341
Re: Merc Alpha1; Water coming into the Boat from the Transom!!

"and trim sender units (which I need anyway),"

Trim sensors are expensive and expensive to fix... then never last so just disconnect the wires in the engine compartment if they are frayed on the sender itself, and live with it... save some money and agrivation.
 
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