removed outdrive.. thoughts?

[sti1471]

OK, so I took my boat to a mechanic about 4 months ago to have him look at it and tell e why it was not shifting into reverse, only forward. After adjusting the cable, it would shift to reverse, but not forward. I adjusted the cables following the manual and it did not help. The boat shop I took it to told me that the shift cable needed to be replaced, and it would be about 400.00$. He told me that if I looked under the outdrive I would see the cable is almost cut in half. Well during the removal, I could not see the shift cable very well (from under the shift drive) and what I would see was running through a fat rubber hose, so I am not quite sure what the heck he is talking about.

So i finally got around to removing the outdrive today to get a look at the shift cable and take a peek at how the rest of the inside looks. Here are my questions.

#1- In the main bellow, there is free standing water in there. You can see a load of grease that is built up around a smaller hole. Is there supposed to be a load of grease in there like that, and is some water in the bellow ok?

#2- there is a smaller hole on the left side of the bigger bellow. When I removed the outdrive, it as loaded with what looks like a white grease / lube. I took a screw driver and cleaned it out, but you can see in the pic what I am talking about. What would cause the white buildup in the smaller hole, and what would cause the water in the large bellow?
From looking at the bellow, I do not see any holes and light from a flash light making it though, so where would the water come from?

 

[NHGuy]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

The water can get in your main bellows very slowly when the boat is in the water. You may want to deal with that. But the smaller hole at the lower left is your lake water inlet to the boat from the drive and it should be clear. I'd recommend cleaning it out really well. Maybe take off the hose inside the boat and back flush that junk out. Also check the rest of the cooling passages.
The shift cable actuates the funny looking metal link that's to the lower right as you look at the stern from behind-oops I mean starboard.
You will need info to check and change it, go to the top of the Mercruiser forum to the stickies and look in there.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

The Ujoint bellow probably has a crack, split or pin hole.

There shouldn't be any water in the Ujoint bellows, so you'll need to replace all the bellows,,, and the shift cable.

Change the raw water hose while in there and check the gimble bearing and Ujoints for rust and smooth operation.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

That gimbal bearing looks pretty rusty as well, how does it feel if you put your fingers in it and turn it by hand?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

that vertical shift shaft is not sealed in it's bushings, so the spongy square donut seal that goes on the upper also needs to be healthy to keep water out of the bellows as water will fill that area thusly.

I have torn one before installing a drive and had water come in.

 

[sti1471]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Ok, so since the shift shaft is not sealed in its bearings, could this be the cause of the shifting problem? I am not sure that guy was 100% sure in his findings. i don't see a cut in the cable from looking under the outdrive like he told me he could. i really do not want to replace the shift cable if it does not need it.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

If your referring to the two bushings I have marked in the pic below. then yes there is a seal built into upper bushing.

In this pic from Fishermark, he has the newer revised bushings/seal installed.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

For what it is worth here are my thoughts: You need new driveshaft bellows and shift cable and shift cable bellows , new gimbal bearing, new bushing and seals on the upper shift shaft, probably new u-joints, and while you are at it a new impeller pump kit. I would not mess with the exhaust bellows or water inlet hose if they are in half way decent shape. You should be able to do all but the u-joints yourself, for that just take the driveshaft housing (upper) to your mechanic while you are doing the pump. Get the manual and study and try to understand what needs to be done. Do all that and you should be good for several years, as long as you pull the outdrive every year for routine maintenance. Good luck.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

I agree with Terry

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

+1 to Terry and Eric... and I will add that since the Drive bellows had water in it, you should do a very careful inspection of your drive oil (drained to support splitting the halves for impeller replacement.... drain the oil to something you can save it in for inspection for water and other impurities), since water very likely entered your drive through that yoke seal (here's hoping you were lucky enough not to have that happen). Goes to show you just how important the water-tightness of those areas is to longevity of your equipment. Best of luck!

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

hope I'm not hijacking... if the shift shaft seal is leaking water, and the square drive nose foam seal is in tact, would that foam seal keep water out of the bellows normally?

 

[sti1471]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Thank you for all the replies. OK here is what I know.

I replaced the water pump and impeller around october of last year. The original drive oil was already drained last fall so inspecting it for water is not something I can do. The boat has not been out this summer due to the shift cable and all of the evidence in helping me find any problems got drained with the winterizing last fall.

So here are my updated questions.

#1- Since the upper shift shaft is missing the upper bushing, could this be the cause of the shifting problem and not the shift cable?
#2- Could the water be in the bellow because of the shift shaft bushing and not because the bellow has a leak, tear, or hole?
#3- If I do need to replace the shift cable, can I fish the wire through the existing sheath, or must I run an entire new cable setup?

I know the new cables are smoother shifting and what not, but I am more looking for the easier fix, so I thought fishing a cable through the sheath would be easier.

Thoughts?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

#1- Since the upper shift shaft is missing the upper bushing, could this be the cause of the shifting problem and not the shift cable?

You're not missing the bushing - you simply have the old style. And no, this is not your shifting problem.

#2- Could the water be in the bellow because of the shift shaft bushing and not because the bellow has a leak, tear, or hole?

Unless the big square rubber gasket was not installed correctly, then no.

#3- If I do need to replace the shift cable, can I fish the wire through the existing sheath, or must I run an entire new cable setup?

Forget simply replacing the inner cable. Besides, installing a new cable is not that difficult. By the time you get to the point where you can get the old inner cable out, you are already to the point where it is simply a matter of unscrewing the old cable sheath and putting in a new one.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Have you done a pressure test of the drive work you did last October... It would help tell you if you had any possible leak at the yoke seal in the upper drive. (not 100% conclusive at this point, but a drive pressure test is never a bad thing to do after an impeller replacement or other drive work).
The water in the drive bellows is more than likely a leak at the large, square O-ring, and/or a tear/cut in the bellows itself. If it is just a small amount of water, you may have caught it in time to fix (although that gimbal bearing looks pretty bad).
How do your U-joints look/feel?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Thoughts?

You would be wise to listen to the suggestions above, and do it right.

 

[sti1471]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Thank you for the replies again.

Yes I plan to do the repair right, that is why I am asking about my options, so I know I am taking the right path.

OK, so since I last posted I took my fingers and felt the inside of the gimbal bearing, and it feels really slick, not pitted or rusty. (not exactly sure what it is supposed ot feel like). But it felt like smooth metal. The outer ring of the Gimbal bearing looks bad in the picture, but last night I took a rag and wiped around the bearing, and the rust was more of a "Dirty grease" and when wiped away it was black in color with no rust.

I examined the bellow to the best I could and did not see any tears, holes of any kind. On the bottom side of the top of the upper shift shaft there is a "rubber ring" and i assumed this was the bushing or sealer. However, would you tell me what I am looking for when you are saying "square rubber gasket".

No I have not done a pressure test, and i am not a boat expert, so i was not looking for leaks or anything else that might provide information while it was on the water. I used it mainly for fishing so it is usually just me on the boat.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Your not suppose to feel the inside of the bearing, you suppose to turn it with your fingers from the inside (pretend your fingers are the driveshaft turning the bearing) and see how it feels when you turn it. Is it smooth or rough like the bearing is worn.

That's ok, your learning

 

[sti1471]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

Well there was so much grease built up in there that my fingers were just gliding along the metal, I could not get enough grip to turn it, but now that I know I need to turn the bearing, I will actually try that when I get home.

 

[Hit It]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

I just tackled my first bellows replacement job a month or so ago after I got a hole in my shift cable bellows. I agree that while you've got everything torn apart it is best to just replace it all - bellows, shift cable, gimbal bearing, etc. You can get kits that have all the necessary parts, gaskets, hardware and such for the job. I'm fairly handy with tools, but not an expert by any means. It's not a real difficult job technically speaking - just a bit of a PITA, so don't let the seemingly daunting task scare you. There are great resources with the manuals and countless other postings available on this site. I also found some other great "how-to" guides out there on the internet. I'd post a link but don't want to get in trouble Just do some google searching. In order to do it right you will need to invest in some specialty tools such as a shift cable tool (specialty socket), engine alignment tool, and hinge pin removal tool (depending on your drive). By the time I got everything I needed I was probably into it $200 - $300 and a weekend of my time. Sure beats paying several hundred $$$ to a mechanic and it always pays to learn about your own drive and how it works.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: removed outdrive.. thoughts?

However, would you tell me what I am looking for when you are saying "square rubber gasket".

.

The "square-rubber-gasket" is the (main) seal between your outdrive and the drive bellows. it is the same (nearly) diameter as the bellows and fits inside the housing that your outdrive slides into. (It is an O-ring, but has a square cross section). it is typically glued in place with bellows adhesive before installing your drive. If you have not removed it yet, you should do so and see if there is eveidence of leakage (typically it gets pretty gunked up in place and it is hard to see if it is in fact the leaker).
Let us know what you find.