How to remove & install a Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 2 sterndrive to inspect Bellows & Gimbal bearing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 เม.ย. 2022
- In this video I go through the steps involved in removing the Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen II sterndrive. I show you what to look for when inspecting the bellows, and how to check the gimbal bearing. I also have a look at the universal joints and show you what a good set of U-joints looks like. And of course I show you how to put it all back together again, and a few tips and tricks along the way to make your job a little easier.
Thanks for watching.
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If you have questions. . . feel free to comment.
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Parts we used:
Quicksilver Extreme Grease: canadawidemarine.com/products...
Outdrive Gasket kit: canadawidemarine.com/products... - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
This is by far the BEST video I have watched. Thank you 😘 I was able to do mine all by myself and of course your excellent instruction
Awesome! Thank you!
🙌🏻 yesssss 🤘
Agreed!
Great video!! Keep doing them. Your experience to help others maintain safety and enjoyment is valuable to many. Any work on 1990’s 3.0 Mercruiser Alpha Ones is and would be amazing!
Thanks! Will do!
What an outstanding tutorial!
Detailed procedures and why they are required.
Thankyou for a superb video...
You are a master. Thank you for such an informative video. I now consider myself a certified TH-cam mechanic, who will now be pulling off my stern drive and inspecting my gimbal bearing and bellows.
The engine crane to hold it up is brilliant... I don't know how I could have done that without seeing you do that... $4 big S hook at Can Tire and my existing engine crane... worked great! Thanks!
When I was younger I used to do it without the crane, but not anymore! Glad it helped.
Normally I don't watch long videos or my friends from North North America eh...but you have started at the beginning of the process...go figure..exactly what I needed...not all Canadians are weird lol...thx for the excellent step by step vid with commentary...
Thanks for this! My wife and brother-in-law own a cottage with a 1996 Mariah Talari 180 with this same setup, and I'm not sure if it's every really received much maintenance. I've been looking for maintenance videos recently to get an idea what I need to go through this spring, and this video is awesome. I'll definitely be going through some of your other videos and purchasing several gasket/rebuild kits for the Alpha stern drive and Mercruiser V6 engine through your site. Hoping to find some videos on fixing the really loose steering and gear shift cables as well. Great work!
This video was so very well done and a great help for me! I have a 1988 EBKO Monte Carlo with a Alpha one Gen 1 drive and the video still answered my question perfectly. GREAT JOB THANKS!
Glad it helped!
Great video. Would love to see a follow on video for gimbal bearing and bellows replacement
Great suggestion!
Thank you so much. Excellent presentation, clearly explained, perfectly... Your wisdom was well received.
Glad it was helpful!
Exceptional clarity! Wow. I must now find YOUR video on replacing the u joints.
As soon as I get a u joint job through the shop I will do a video on the process. Thanks for watching.
This was extremely helpful! Thank you for making this video.
Glad it was helpful!
Perfectly explained thank you . Huge help👍🏻
Well done. Thanks for thorough instructions.
Absolutely excellent video - many thanks!
Great video, now I understand more about Mercruiser Alpha one. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video. You made it so much easier to do this. On my way to my shop to grab a motor jack.
Excellent!!! Would love to see a video of the bellows getting changed on the Alpha 1 Gen 2. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Brandon. Bellows change video is on my list, just waiting for the next bellows job to come through the shop.
@@CanadaWideMarine Hey Sir, I also need the Bellow Change Video. PLEASE ASAP!!
Great detail and your tricks you have learned through the years. Thanks so much.
Thanks for watching! And thanks for the kind words.
Thank you for giving me the confidence to do my own maintenance and save a ton of money.
Excellent video! Very detailed and thorough explanations! Thank you!
By far the best tutorial on this. Thanks
Outstanding video! De-mystifying stern drive servicing and care...Thank-you
Glad you enjoyed it!
GREAT video! Would love one that goes through the steps for replacing all the bellows and removal/reinstallation of the gimbal housing!
Nice, practical and useful (cool guy ) keep filming! - Yama 50 HP owner.
Thank you so much for sharing this !!!.
Pleasure watching you work!! Good video! Thank you
Thanks for the kind words, so glad you enjoyed it.
Great Video! I need to look and see if you have one changing out the bellows.
I don't have one yet, but I hope one is coming soon.
Thanks so much, new boat owner, you made it so easy. Also please do a video on how to change the bellows on a Alpha 1 gen 2. Thanks
Yes, I have many requests for a bellows change video, just waiting for one to come through the shop. Thanks for watching.
You are an excellent instructor. I would really appreciate a video on replacing the bellows on the Alpha I Gen II.
As soon as a bellows job comes through the shop I will do a video on it. Thanks for the compliment.
@@CanadaWideMarineany chance you’ve uploaded a bellows job video yet? Tackling that job this weekend on an alpha one gen 2
Yeah my parents have the bravo it’s got a 454 thunder bolt ignition something or another sounds great thank you for the vid brush up on what to do and yes my back wasn’t to happy about me taking that bravo off alone if can recommend anything for ppl working alone especially if like me at only 120 put a peace of wood down ply wood so if you did drop the drive won’t hit concrete and don’t scratch up for sliding it
Very nice how to. Thank you
Great video! Thank you!😊
Excellent presentation 👍
Nice video. It's nice to see a mechanic who knows how to torque fasteners using feel, knowledge and experience.
Thank you, 43 years and counting.
Where you hold the ratchet, fastener material, arm position, etc are all factors.
Only someone who has similar experience would recognize that.
@@CanadaWideMarine European cars since 1980. I was skeptical about this job as my brother years ago told me it was a nightmare to do by yourself. He must not have been working on an Alpha it seems (1988 or so).
I agree. This is the best video I have seen, by far! Than you so much.😊
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words and support.
Ok cool...off to give it a try...will also take it with me and do it step by step....thanks...
Very informative video. It would be great if could create a video on bellows and gimbal bearing replacement for the Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 2 sterndrive. It's been difficult to find any video's for that procedure from anyone that knows what they're doing. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the nice words. Yes, as soon as a bellows/gimbal job comes through the shop I will do a video on it for sure.
hi best video perfect to work with... 100 % have you a video for change the bellows at alpha one gen 2 Thanks marcus
Yes, a video on replacing the bellows will be done as soon as we get another bellows job through the shop. Thanks for watching.
Thnx, excellent. I did it myself. Greetings from Munich, Germany.
Nice work!
Exactly the video I needed
Like a pro. bro. Thank you much.
Awsome video thank you sir
Thanks for the great video!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback.
Great video thank you👍👍👍
Thank you too
Thanks for this very clear and professional. Best example yet .Keep them coming..Dont know if you have done one yet but how to tell if the gimbal bearing is shot.
I touch on the gimbal bearing in the video. Reach in through the bellows and turn the inner race of the gimbal bearing by hand. It should turn freely and smoothly, if it is rumbly or rough or has tight spots at all it is shot.
Great video thanks 😊
And thank you for watching.
Excellent!!!!! The best!
Thank you.
Very well done video! Clearly showing the steps! Audio was very clear as well. Would love to see a video from you on bellows replacement! Thanks.
Thank you, yes, planning on a bellows video, just waiting on the next bellows job to come through the shop.
that was great, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much!
Great Video 👍👏🏻👏🏻
I have a problem; when the trim is up i see water coming from, but when its down position everything is okey; what can you advice me to look 😮
Awesome video which helped re-assure me I could do this job. Found my gasket blown out near middle bolt wth grease coming out. Do you know what would cause the gasket to blow out? I did find the nuts to not be very tight on there, not near 50ft/lb torque.
Without inspecting it myself I would only be guessing at possible causes, but the most probable would be improper installation.
Excellent video. Questions. Do we need to drain the transmission oil first?? Thanks.
Thanks!
Nice. Thank you.
Thank you too!
I noticed a little bit of a hydraulic leak on my out drive today (alpha 1 gen 2). Where are all the possible points it could leak from? Internally?? Looks to be internal of the outdrive. Haven’t taken it apart to see yet
Hydraulic leaks would be from the trim rams. Oil leaks from the outdrive can come from input and prop shaft seals water pump shaft seals, upper housing seals, as well as monitor bottle hose and fittings, and more. best bet is to pressure test to identify the exact source of the leak.
Great how too. Keep em coming, eh! A question and a request. Why glue the o-ring in place on the water pick-up inlet? Would be SUPER great to do a similar how too on the modern Bravo III drive removal and replacement. I know there are some subltle and not so subtle differences between these very widely used drives. I would do my own annual Bravo if I had a similar vid.
I glue the o ring so it doesn't fall out of position while installing the sterndrive.
Yes, a Bravo video is in the works, thanks for asking.
This guy is good
Did you forget the big o ring gasket on the drive unit. The big o ring gasket where the u joint are? I didn’t see it?
I can promise you I did not forget it, but I may have forgotten to mention it in the video. Great catch.
Great video thank you! I need to dig in and do bellows and bearing on my 03, any recommendations for videos on the bellows and gimbal?
I haven't yet done a video on gimbal bearing or bellows, but as soon as a bellows job comes through the shop I will.
Easy to follow very complete tutorial. Thanks! Is it okay to spray the bellows with silicone spray or is it unnecessary?
You could certainly spray your bellows with silicon spray, it will help protect them inside and out.
Thank you for the video.
Do you recommend OEM or not for the billows?
This is. the best.
Awesome video. Thank you. Just subscribed. Question. My gear shift selector disengages sometimes as I go from fwd to neutral back to fwd. Forces me to jump in the water and quickly adjust it. Why does that happen?
Not quite sure what you have going on. What make and model are we talking about, and what are you adjusting from in the water?
Great video thank you. How easy should the driveshaft turn in neutral? It looked pretty easy when you lined it up for insertion.
the driveshaft turns quite freely in neutral. But you do have the drag of the water pump impeller. (unless you have an engine mounted bravo pump)
I took my drive off and separated both halves to replace all the seals. After I put it back on and took the boat out I found out that it will not fully accelerate. It will go into forward and reverse gear but when I try to speed up the engine bogs down and it won't go any faster. It worked perfectly fine before I took the drive off. Any suggestions? Could the driveshaft not be aligned properly?
great video! I have a alpha 1 gen 1 and noticed a slight motor oil leak from the stern around the bellows on the right side...do you think it simply needs new gaskets and o-rings?
Well, there is no motor oil in that area, perhaps you are seeing a gear oil leak? If it's gear oil there are several areas that it could be leaking from in that area. The gaskets and o rings we replace in the video do not seal any gear oil, so replacing them will not resolve an oil leak. I highly recommend having a marine mechanic perform a pressure test to identify the cause of the leak and advise on the best way to repair it. Then you can decide if you want to tackle it yourself. Thanks for watching.
Hello friend, great video!! I have a question for you, it turns out that I disassembled it because the gears did not engage, now when watching your video I realized that my boat was poorly assembled, the linkage, but when I put the reverse while I turn the cardan, the gear remains engaged and when I stop it it automatically stops. it jumps and shifts into forward gear, is this normal or is something wrong with the clutch system? Thank you very much in advance and greetings from Argentina!!!
I am very appreciative of this video. Also, I am terrified of what I'm going to find when I tackle this project on my boat. Because, bellows....what bellows? I don't need to remove the stern drive to see that it's in bad shap. Basically, it's trash.
If you are talking about your driveshaft bellows then I suggest plan on replacing your driveshaft/u joint assembly and gimbal bearing as well.
@@CanadaWideMarine fortunately, after a quick look, I think I’m just seeing the exhaust bellows. The other looks in tact.
what if I can't turn my prop backwards slightly to line up the splines, I get too much resistance and it wont turn
Did u talk about exhaust bellows?
If so what time in vid?
thanks
Is that a Bravo 1 or 2 or does 1 and 2 have the same seal kits
GREAT 👌
Thank you.
Thank you for that! Where did get the lifting hook? I've searched everywhere and cant find one.
I made it. I think I modified an "S" hook off an old ratchet strap.
Would this process be any different on a Bravo xr?
Thank you.
Awesome video!
Not much different, the shift connects a little differently, so pay attention to that, particularly as you re-assemble it.
What about greasing, the U joints?
Merc R Drive. what am i doing wrong, the drive goes in almost all the way and stop about one inch short of fully mating up. I've checked alignment and made sure the spline pocket is not over greased. Thanks
Shift control into forward gear and shift the lower unit into forward gear
Awesome video. My out drive has SE 106 written on it. What model do you think that is? It’s on a 1986 Cobalt. Thanks Randy
SE 106 is a replacement for the Mercruiser Alpha One made by Sterndrive Engineering, SEI.
Thanks for the compliment.
Thanks for the video. Why dont you have a trim tab? I thought mine was missing but I guess not?
Thanks for watching. Some Mercruiser drives have a simple flat plate where you would see a trim tab. Look up from underneath the cav plate to see if it is a flat plate or if it is missing totally. If your steering is not pulling or heavier turning on way over the other there is no need for a trim tab.
What he said ...plus with power steering...a trim tab would still not make a difference
Gosh this is best video I saw so far Thanks for sharing, I do have one question during the video you stopped it at 20:02 then you went back doing what you were doing but the propeller wasn’t in the same spot and something else was just a little bit off but anyways was that when you were having troubles and you didn’t want to share with us you kicking things around with a few ugly words? Anyways just very curious because I’m fixing to take one a part from someone who worked on it and I’m not sure if he did anything you did to yours so far what he said to me didn’t match up his words so I’m scared to find something bad in my new project.
Hi Jason,
I don't remember exactly what was going on installing this drive, I recorded a year ago, and have done a pile of them since. What I can say is that trying to do things with a camera in the way, and so the camera can see the important parts is really challenging at times, so I may have just been in an awkward position while filming.
Good luck with your project, and thanks for watching.
Great video. My question is when inspecting mine, I noticed my trim rams stop short of trimming all the way down. Goes all the way up but not all the way down. Trim sending switches are good. Pulled off rams but did not disconnect hydraulic system. I can’t push pistons in and out but they rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. Should the ram pistons go in and out by pushing on them? Thanks
As long as the cav plate is pointed up at the front, relative to the waterline, when trimmed all the way down you are good. And no you cannot push the rams in by hand. If you can move them by pushing on the the thrust of the propeller would move the leg up and down.
@@CanadaWideMarine 👍
Thank you whap prop is that? What size engine?
Hi Jose, Sorry, I don't remember what propeller that was, but it was on 19' boat with a 4.3 TKS engine.
Thanks for watching.
Gen II drives only need to be remove for inspection every three (3) years (as per Mercruiser's own service manual). A visible inspection of the bellows from the outside is all that's required.
MC-1, R, MR and Alpha One drive DO need to be done annually.
Hi, Thanks for the great video!!! I'm getting a rattling noise when I go slow (boat not on plane). But if I turn right or left, while going fast (on plane), it's horrible. Sounds like I'm rattling a couple of BB's in a jar. Would replacing the gimbal, bearing and bellow fix that problem? Thank you.
Those symptoms indicate a possible problem with gimbal bearing or universal joints. Remove the drive and inspect should identify the source of the problem.
@@CanadaWideMarine I will follow your video to open it up and see if that's the problem. Thanks a million!!
Let us know what you find.
Hello, I have a problem with MerCruiser gear lube Reservoir Dribble Valve leaking oil. When I remove the driveshaft unit, oil stops leaking. The valve appear to functioning normally. S.O.S
Sorry for the late reply, I don't seem to get proper notifications for comments.
I'm not exactly sure where you are actually leaking. But I might take a guess that you may need a new gasket between the drive and the gimbal housing?
Great video. I have water coming in through what looks like a weep hole above the drive shaft where it goes through transom. Boat fills up pretty good overnight, and can't see water coming in anywhere else. When running engine it actually squirts out a little bit. New boat to me and I've never been into that gimbal/outdrive assembly. Boots all look OK externally, but obviously impossible to see well. Seems like it pretty well has to be the boot. Am I thinking right here? Any insight you can provide is much appreciated. Do you ship in the US with reasonable timing and customs hassle? Your videos are great and I would love to support your business as a thank you.
You definitely want to remove your drive and check the driveshaft bellows. If it is them that is leaking you will need to replace your gimbal bearing and most likely your driveshaft/u-joint assembly.
We do ship to the US but generally our pricing is higher so you are better off shopping locally. Thank you for your kinds words and support.
@@CanadaWideMarine thanks.. pulled it apart. Driveshaft bellows was leaking due to not being clamped well or glued at all on transom end.. someone did a poor job of a replacement sometime in the past before I bought the boat. Replaced all the boots, gimbal bearing and u joints. Your video was very helpful. Thanks again.
This is one of the best videos on the subject out there. Many thanks. When you address the drive bellow (the top one) you don't comment the exhaust bellow and it's hardly visible in the video. My exhaust bellow has come loose on the sterndrive side. Probably the steel clamp was not tight enought or it was mounted without bellow glue. Any guidance how to put it back on ? Does it help to have the sterndrive removed to sit it properly or it can be done without sterdrive removal ? Thanks in advance
Exhaust Bellows are a pain because you need to tilt the drive up to get to them which wants to pull the bellows off the gimbal housing. There is a special tool we use for the exhaust bellows, it is not listed on the store, but the part number is: Mercury 91-45497A1 or Sierra 18-9847. It makes the job much easier. I would also use a new bellows rather than try to re-attach the old one as a new one will be much more flexible.
Thanks for your kind words, I'm still new at making videos so I appreciate the support.
@@CanadaWideMarine You are doing a great job with your videos, exeptional quality and clear execution. I had been looking for similar content for weeks until I ran into your channel. So thanks for that and for your answer. Exhaust bellow is indeed a painful job and you'll know if it's done well only when you go in the water :-). I will likely replace the bellow with a new one as you suggested. My engine is a 4.3 MPI.......if you ever plan on a tutorial to replace the spark plugs will be highly appreciated. I have made space left and right in the engine bay but the spark plugs are still hardly reachable. I wonder if the exhaust manifolds need to be removed to have better access ? Also on another subject if you don't mind the question....the engine bay blower and the sterndrive trim can be operated also when the main battery switch is off (Bayliner 652 CU). Any good reason for that ? Rgds Gio
Spark plugs: use a six inch extension and you should be able to reach them past the exhaust manifolds, the manifolds do not have to come off. The middle plug on either side is hard to get the wire off because of the water fitting, I sometimes carefully use long needle nose pliers to get it off. To get the new plugs back in I use an eight inch long piece of 5/16" fuel hose, push it over the end of the spark plug and use it to guide the plug into position and get it started in the threads.
For some reason unknown to me Mercury wires their trim system direct to the battery, bypassing the battery switch, so that is "normal". The bilge blower should be wired after the battery switch. The point of the battery switch is to disconnect "all" electrical systems from the batteries in the event of an emergency. Except for the automatic function of the bilge pump and any memory circuits required.
@@CanadaWideMarine All well noted. Many thanks
hey boddy and the minute 3:08 you said some about 1/4 inch turn twist.!! mine is broke how can l buy what is the name please thank you
if you email us the serial number of your drive we can get one for you.
support@canadawidemarine.com
I have gear drive oil leaking on my bilge room coming from drive shaft i think. Does replacing those shaft oring solves that? My first boat, Rookie here please advise thanks.
Hi Marlon, Nice truck in your profile pic, is that yours?
Unfortunately the o rings will not stop your gear oil leak. If the oil is definitely coming from your driveshaft you will have oil in your bellows when you remove the drive. (Have a look at the video I did on removing a volvo sx sterndrive, it has oil in the bellows). If that is the case then you will need to replace the driveshaft seal on the front of the drive. This requires some special tools. The other place gear oil can be leaking into your bilge is from the drive oil monitor bottle or the hose that goes from the bottle to the transom plate. That hose connects to the transom bracket near the driveshaft so it could look like the oil is coming from the driveshaft.
@@CanadaWideMarine good morning, Thank you replying i appreciate it. No the truck in the picture is not mine, but i am currently restoring the exact truck which the end result will be that picture.
I have an mercruiser alpha one drive.
I already checked and traced the gear oil reservoir line no leak there.
I saw leak is definitely coming from the drive shaft. I will take it apart replace the drive shaft seal and order the tools and seals necessary to complete the task in my shop. Thanks again!
Hi Brandon, did you need to flush the gear oil first? I have a split in my gear cable bellows which was leaking water in to the boat when leg trimmed out (opening up the split further i guess)
Great video and i have subscribed as you are a great teacher. thanks
Who is Brandon? Lol.
No Need to flush or drain the gear oil first. There is a check valve in the line to the monitor bottle that closes when the drive is removed so you don't lose any gear oil.
Thanks for the kind words.
@@CanadaWideMarine Oops. Terribly sorry about. Thanks for the info. I assume I have to remove the bell housing to get to and replace the gear cable bellows?
On a Gen II the outer cable can be removed from the back once the drive is removed, no need to remove the bell housing.
I rewatched but didn't hear you say it. Is it necessary to drain the drive unit when doing this type of inspection? I apologize if you said it and I missed it.
You do not have to drain the drive to remove it. There is a check valve in the line from the gear lube monitor bottle that will close when the drive is removed, so the monitor bottle does not drain either.
What if there is milky oil in your drive shaft housing?
I assume by driveshaft housing, you mean "bellows"? If you have milky oil in your bellows there are two likely possibilities, first, and most likely, you have water in your drive, so your drive oil is also milky, and it is leaking out the input seal into the bellows. Second, I guess its possible that you have an oil leak from your drive into your bellows, with no water in your drive, mixing with water that is leaking into your bellows, and causing the milkyness. First thing to do is to check your drive oil. If you have water in your drive, it settles in the bottom, remove the bottom drain plug and let a little oil out to inspect it. Or just change your oil anyway. If there is water, or it is milky, you will need to re-seal your drive.
Great video, I was able to inspect my new 1995 Searay gimble and bellow. Got a LOT of oil on seal due to struggling to get all aligned, could the integrity of seal be compromised?
Which seal are you referring to? Oil on the gasket is not a problem.
@@CanadaWideMarine the large gasket between the upper section of the outdrive and the transom housing
I grease that gasket so it is easier to remove next year, so the oil will not be a problem at all, just a mess to clean up.
@@CanadaWideMarine
@@CanadaWideMarine Thank You!
Do you need to drain the gear oil first? What about the reservoir? How is it connected to the drive?
Hi Gilbert.
No you do not need to drain the gear oil first. There is a check valve in the fitting between the drive and the gimbal housing that automatically closes when the drive is removed so the reservoir doesn't drain.
@@CanadaWideMarine thanks
Question, I've got a gear drive oil drip that looks to be coming from the shifting rod coming through the gimbal shift fork/rod. I'm pretty sure that is an exhaust port that that shaft passes through so I'm not sure where to oil is dripping from. Maybe just the out drive gasket? Anyone else had this issue? (Alpha 1 gen 1)
Could it possibly be dripping from the universal joint bellows? Perhaps you have an input shaft seal leaking oil into the bellows which is then leaking onto the shift rod? Without seeing the actual leak I can only guess at what might be happening.
@@CanadaWideMarine Yes I know, but sometimes you hear back from someone that had the exact same problem... I found the 6 upper drive housing bolts alittle loose, tightened them up and cleaned it up. All I know is it's gear oil. Next step is to pull the unit. Needs service anyway. Just seemed odd at first sight appeared to be coming from the upper shift rod. Bellows and shift cable were replaced about 4 years ago or 30 hours. We only take it out 3 or 4 times a year. Thanks, I'll let you know what I find.
Do you have to drain the gear oil and reservoir?
You do not need to drain the gear lube. There is a check valve that automatically seals the reservoir when the drive is removed.
Yearly seems like a bit of overkill for this service? Is this a high usage boat? If you only use the boat two or three times is this needed yearly?
If you end up with a crack in your drive bellows you want to know about it before the water seizes up your gimbal bearing and universal joints.
Congratulations for your video
Very good
Your video is helping me here in Brazil
Too bad it has so few likes
You must not be discouraged
I will be looking forward to the new video 👍
Thank you very much!