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Mercruiser Pre Alpha Outdrive Stuck

J

Jon Evans

New member
I have a pre-alpha mercruiser outdrive and I believe it is stuck in the engine. I have removed the 6 bolts, the trim arms and the gear is in forward. I spent a good half of the day banging and hammering and trying to pry apart the outdrive with no luck... When the gear is in forward I got no separation, when in neutral, I was finally able to get about a 1/8" separation if and only if I had the outdrive turned to the left or right. If I had the outdrive straight, I got no separation. After a while I put the gear back in forward and the outdrive tightened back up and I couldn't get any separation. Any idea what is happening here? Do I have a much bigger problem than I was hoping for?

A little back story, I decided to pull the outdrive because I feel I have a bad vertical drive shaft. When the boat is in gear and I give it throttle, the propeller barely spins and can be stopped by a broom handle at full throttle. Maybe I'm wrong on this as well, but I thought I'd check it out...
 
YOU NEVER HAMMER OR PRY ANYWHERE ON AN OUTDRIVE
Have you checked the oil level in the drive? sounds like more of a coupler issue. most likely you are severely out of alignment or there was water in the bellows causing the shaft to stick to the gimbal bearing. Install the rams, place a 2 x 4 between the top cap and transom, push trailer button GENTLY TO FORCE DRIVE OFF a little at a time. replace block with longer block as required.
 
See now I have a mercruiser pretty alpha too and have removed all the bolts supposedly holding it on but it doesnt want to come off no matter what I do. I'm sure I missed something along the way cuz I dont see this just being effing stuck on there like that even tho I tried prying it off with crowbars. Yes I know never pry against the outdrive but I did so plus we aren't keeping it or the inline 6 motor 1960's is a Lil too old for us
 
ReelD420 said:
See now I have a mercruiser pretty alpha too and have removed all the bolts supposedly holding it on but it doesnt want to come off no matter what I do. I'm sure I missed something along the way cuz I dont see this just being effing stuck on there like that even tho I tried prying it off with crowbars. Yes I know never pry against the outdrive but I did so plus we aren't keeping it or the inline 6 motor 1960's is a Lil too old for us
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Did you shift it into drive?
 
Docksidemarineservices said:
Did you shift it into drive?
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That's my point man how can I I'm trashing the outdrive completely but even so I can't get it off it's stuck on something my guess talk because it's not in gear but I can't put it in gear unless I buy completely new cables and shift plate / mechanism thing that attaches 2 so my question is is there a way to put it in gear without attaching it to shift handle and to the engine itself
 
ReelD420 said:
That's my point man how can I I'm trashing the outdrive completely but even so I can't get it off it's stuck on something my guess talk because it's not in gear but I can't put it in gear unless I buy completely new cables and shift plate / mechanism thing that attaches 2 so my question is is there a way to put it in gear without attaching it to shift handle and to the engine itself
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Push the shift cable in the case... That will put it into drive.
 
In its defense, the chevy inline six is one of the world's best ever engines. I put it right up there with the air cooled VW 4, Rolls Royce Merlin, and others in terms of it being an iconic (although in its case, under praised) part of mechanical history. Propelled, and still propelling, millions and millions of vehicles for decades.
 
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