stuck Alpha One lower unit

D

ddurand

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Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2001
RO Number
5015
Messages
837
I am trying to remove the lower unit to do the impeller. I have the 6 nuts or bolts off and its beginning to come apart slightly at the back of the drive. I am using a block of wood and a dead-blow hammer. I seem to have gotten the back 1/8" apart.

I do not want to dent up the housing by prying.

I sprayed PB Blaster around the perimeter where they separate.

Ideas?
 
Gen One or Gen Two? They're different but either has a fastener in the very front as well as the nuts/bolts on the sides and the one at the rear hidden under the trim tab.
I bring this up because you mention six fasteners. If six includes the one in the trim tab, the final count is seven, counting the one in the tab.
 
quote:
Originally posted by j-d

Gen One or Gen Two? They're different but either has a fastener in the very front as well as the nuts/bolts on the sides and the one at the rear hidden under the trim tab.
I bring this up because you mention six fasteners. If six includes the one in the trim tab, the final count is seven, counting the one in the tab.

Click to expand...


Gen One
I got two nuts under, two on top, nut in the front and a allen head bolt under the trim tab. I was not counting the one that holds on the trim tab .
 
Sometimes you need to shim the middle nuts, You can use washers and slide them between the nut and the upper case and back off the nut and the nut acts like a 'puller'. You may have to turn the nut down and add more spacers.
 
^^^ I found the tip to use the nuts as "pushers" by shimming above them. I think it was actually an RO here posting on another forum. I think it included "don't beat on it."
 
Heh! Yeah, don't beat on it. That front and especially the extra bolt under the trim tab got me before.

I figured out that shimming technique about 20 years ago. There are a few 'alterations' of stock configurations that need to be done for easier access. Drilling out the trim tab access hole to replace the allen bolt with a hex bolt is one merc finally 'copied'. Another one is drilling out or drilling new holes for easier access to the hose clamps on the gimbal housing(outer transom plate) so you can use 1/4" drive sockets.

I've posted some of these 'alterations' before but I don't think there are enuff 'backyard mechanics' here that understand that factory or stock configurations are not always the best or easiest.

As far as prying or using wedges, The only place you have to be very careful NOT to pry around is the fluid transfer hole in the middle of the starboard side of the upper and lower mating surface.

Most of the area between the upper and lower cases are simply part of the exhaust passages to the 'thru-prop'. If you raise a burr from trying to pry, just make sure you file it back down so the cases mate evenly.
 
To remove the GEN 1 outdrive
6 nuts, 2 vertical lines

Shifter in forward, all the way forward

Remove 4 completely off
last 2, leave on a couple of threads to catch the drive so it's not in your lap

Drive should slide right off
If hard stop about 1/8 in, shifter not far enough

If still stuck, try bumping the drive with drive trim against ground or wood block, "slightly"
drive will come off with trim tab zinc in place, but you will have to remove the trim tab to separate the upper/lower halves
 
I was under the (maybe incorrect) impression that having it in Forward just made it easier to reinstall? Due to work being done on the boat interior, the shifter control is apart, but guess I can put the handle on to shift it into Forward.
 
While I am at it, I will ask if there are things one can do to make it easier to do the next time?
 
The block on the end of the shifter cable must be oriented in the forward position to slide the outdrive off and on.

usually the only reason the drive gets stuck is if it has nbot been removed in a very long time and it has trouble releasing from the gasket.

But once you see the drive separate from the gasket (outdrive assembly), you will either have it slide right off or stop about 1/8 in.
That is the shifter slide not aligned.

Once that is aligned it slides right off. As I suggest, leave 1-2 nuts on at the end of their travel, to stop it from falling off, when you are ready, remove the last nuts and remove.

Oh, BTW, as is obvious, you need to undo the cross bar for the trim rams also.

To slide back on, if the shifter is not aligned in forward correctly, you will not get it on. If you force it, really force it, you will damage the shifter cable and need to replace that.
 
The block on the end of the shifter cable must be oriented in the forward position to slide the outdrive off and on.

usually the only reason the drive gets stuck is if it has nbot been removed in a very long time and it has trouble releasing from the gasket.

But once you see the drive separate from the gasket (outdrive assembly), you will either have it slide right off or stop about 1/8 in.
That is the shifter slide not aligned.

Once that is aligned it slides right off. As I suggest, leave 1-2 nuts on at the end of their travel, to stop it from falling off, when you are ready, remove the last nuts and remove.

Oh, BTW, as is obvious, you need to undo the cross bar for the trim rams also.

To slide back on, if the shifter is not aligned in forward correctly, you will not get it on. If you force it, really force it, you will damage the shifter cable and need to replace that.
 
Bob, separating upper from lower, not remove drive from transom assembly.

Don, you heard right, Shift in forward makes it easier to align shifter into upper.
 
I believe it was in forward all along. (I had to put the handle back on the shifter to tell, but its in forward.) The front next to the transom has not really budged. The back has budged maybe 1/8".

Guess I will try shimming the 2 nuts with washers. and push the lower unit off.
 
The vertical drive shaft that connects to the upper and inserts into the upper drive can get it's splined shaft stuck. It's in the first 1/3. Pushing out those front nuts should loosen the drive shaft.
 
I bought a boat and wanted to do some service to the OD. The drive shaft was rusted to the gimble bearing. The gimble bearing came out with the drive shaft by "humping" the OD..I did not know that was the problem until the drive was fully off
 
I put washers on top of the nuts and backed them off, pushing the lower unit off. Its now about 1/4" towards the transom and 3/8" the other end. The nuts cam off and still will not budge.

And to make it more of a hassle, yesterday I got a liquid nitrogen skin treatment on a spot on my middle finger of right hand. Need to keep it dry and clean. That finger is a key finger doing things with nuts and bolts.
 
Except for the shift shaft 'foot', There's only the water tube and drive shaft connecting the lower and upper case. The only thing I can think of is the seal for the splined gear just leaked water. Musta been in saltwater a while.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jtybt15

Except for the shift shaft 'foot', There's only the water tube and drive shaft connecting the lower and upper case. The only thing I can think of is the seal for the splined gear just leaked water. Musta been in saltwater a while.

Click to expand...


Which seal are you talking about?

I am thinking the stud closest to the transom is having trouble pulling through the housing.
 
Look at the upper case where the drive shaft inserts into splined gear of the upper. There should be a seal there.

There's no reason for any of the holes to catch the mounting bolts unless it's coming out at an extreme angle. The only other thing in the front of the drive is the shifting foot that aligns with the splined shift shaft. The foot is bronze and the shift shaft is SS so there's no corrosion or electrolysiss issue. There's a slight possibility of salt build-up between the shaft and foot.
 
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