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Alpha 1 OD complete reseal

guyjg

Gold Medal Contributor
"Gentlemen: please provide yo

"Gentlemen: please provide your expert opinion in reference to above. My O/D is a 1987 model and the only work performed during the last 3 years on it has been a bellows kit, gimbal bearing and waterpump.

I spent last year replacing the all of wooden structures; the transom, stringers, floor. Gauges & wiring and interior were replaced and now looks great. Put a on a new carb, fuel tank & fuel pump, engine cirulating pump, ignition parts etc. Also rebuilt the shifter assy. w/new trim harness and neutral safety switch. Engine is a 96 solid reman LB that runs great.

Last August while idling or trolling the temp would rise to 180+ deg. but when under way it would drop to 140 deg. which is the T'stat setting. I want to replace the O/D WP impellor but don' feel competent tackling the O/D water pump.

I went to 3 dealers and explained above; all est. $250 cost of the impellor replacement. I also asked about the life of O/D seals since I don't want to be 10 miles out and have a 20 year old seal fail & ruin the O/D.

Each dealer wanted $900+ to remove, disassemble, inspect each hard part, bearing, shim, etc. and reseal the entire out drive. Then reinstall it, align the engine & O/D, reset all adjustments to factory specs. To replace the 20 yr. old trim senders is $350 more. With the reseal, I feel I would have a remanf. O/D & could enjoy the boat this year instead of working on it.

Your professional opinions are welcomed.
Guy"
 
"First and foremost, you have

"First and foremost, you have to fix what's broken. The symptoms you described are indicative of the imeller being shot... not pushing enough water at low rpm. That job in itself is not that difficult. The impeller kit comes with instructions. There's like 6 or 7 fasteners holding the lower unit to the upper unit. The trickiest part is getting the vertical shaft lined up on re-assembly. The impeller kit will cost you <$50.

I wouldn't jump on resealing it without indications of oil leakage, or water in the oil."
 
"If there's doubt about th

"If there's doubt about the seals, have it pressure and vacuum tested. If the gear oil is milky, it needs some work but it could be as minor as the shift shaft or propshaft seals."
 
"Thanks alot. I was concerned

"Thanks alot. I was concerned when I thought they were drumming up business and I was not knowledgeable of the seals and the necessity of the seal work. The gear oil was fresh and clean & w/o any milky look when I serviced it last fall. I have a Seloc manual and think I'll give the impellor a shot. Since I had a complete kit put in last time, do I need to use a whole kit again or just the impellor? Thanks again. Guy"
 
"If the one that's in ther

"If the one that's in there is original, I would think about a pump replacement kit. That means the lower and upper housings, lower seal, upper drive shaft seals (IIRC), possibly the shift shaft seal, impeller and all gaskets. This kit comes with more gaskets than you will need so don't freak out if you have spare parts. Just be meticulous and don't force anything.

Also, remember that the shift needs to be in FORWARD to remove and reinstall the drive because you'll probably need to rotate the drive shaft to get the lower case to go on. You can tilt the drive up to do this job.

Read the manual and make sure to use the right lubes and sealants. Instead of buying the propshaft holder, you can use your prop hub (if it's a Merc prop with the black plastic hub) and install the thrust washer and prop nut. When you rotate the propshaft, you'll be rotating it in the reverse direction, not forward. Rotating it forward will take it out of gear."
 
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