Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Alpha One Stern Drive Grease Fittings

U

UTBMXCruiser

New member
IMG_3395_zpsmunf4owe.jpg

I have a 95 5.7 Alpha One. It has 3 grease fittings. Pretty obvious where the grease goes in the 2 tilt fittings. But the one on the right side really close to the transom labeled Gimball Bearing in the SELOC manual, where is that grease going when you pump it in??? How much grease should I be pumping in there????? I see no fittings for the upper and lower steering pins. I am not happy with this SELOC manual so far. I don't think it gets into enough detail!

How do you lubricate the upper and lower steering pivots if not from this grease fitting shown in the picture???

Showing these pictures is a royal pain just so you know!

Preface to say this boat is new to me and I have very little knowledge of a Mercruiser stern drive. There is no telling when the last time all this stuff has been lubricated. It runs pretty good and I want to keep it that way the best I can!!!

IMG_3396_zpshiga3tyg.jpg
 
Last edited:
the side fitting for the gimbal bearing usually will take 10-15 pumps to see it exit the bearing . Drive must be removed to see this. The missing upper grease fitting can be installed very easily. I install them on all my customers boats. Lower fitting is no longer used
 
Bt Doctur said:
the side fitting for the gimbal bearing usually will take 10-15 pumps to see it exit the bearing . Drive must be removed to see this. The missing upper grease fitting can be installed very easily. I install them on all my customers boats. Lower fitting is no longer used
Click to expand...

I’m still not clear where that grease is going in that one fitting?

How would I add that upper grease fitting you mentioned? There seems to be no access cover on top. Why the hell would they not put lubrication points in these pivot points? That lower steering pivot does not need lubrication? No way to lubricate it?

Also, I found a tear in the upper boot while poking around back there this morning. And I note the boat is taking on water while in operation and I have to run the bilge pump every so often. I left the boat docked in the lake earlier this summer on vacation and it was taking on significant water while docked. 3 or 4 hours later I went out to check the boat that night and the below deck ski storage was nearly full. Pumped it all out and returned early the next morning to find the same thing. Had to pump a ton of water out. If I left it in the water 12 hours the damn think might be on the bottom of the lake.

I knew I had problems back there but I’ve wanted to wait till the end of the season to fix it. Am I gonna ruin it if I keep running it in this condition? Should I stop running the boat till I fix all this mess? I don’t want to ruin it, but I was hoping to wait till the end of the season like I said. It has been running good otherwise. I don’t have milky oil in the foot.

With your experience, is there a kit I can buy with all the parts I need to replace. Gimball bearing, boots, and water pump impeller? You joints? I don’t want to keep taking this thing apart throwing parts at it. I want the damn thing to work. I don’t have much money in the boat itself but all this other crap I’ve had to fix is starting to add up as you might imagine. Boat now has about 545 hrs. on the clock. I’m also not running it around wide open all the time.

Is there a manual specific to this 1995 motor/outdrive setup? Like I said the SELOC manual is all over the place and doesn’t seem to provide much detail. But better than nothing. The Serial# on the engine ID plate is F360605.
 
Last edited:
I`ll locate the instruction but basically you need the SS grease fitting, 1/4 x 28 tap.#3 drill bit (I think) drill with the #3 3/8ths deep, switch to a 1/16 or 1/8 bit . Now drill slowly ,you will see aluminum , then brass, then steel STOP. Tap for the fitting, insert fitting and grease. You use a 5/16 hex nut for the height.
Manuals should still be on the net, just look. Transom repair kit is about 200 or so. main bellow, shift bellow, exaust bellow, gimbal bearing, water inlet hose although the newest hose from mercruiser is a molded hose avail separtately , a lot easier too. U joints as a separate item





 
OK let me throw this out there. Who makes the best bellows gimbal bearing kit. I see cheapo China stuff on eBay. I see Quicksilver OEM, but it seems they are made in China also. I read a review by a boat tech where he got a China kit and said the shaft bellows was to soft and thought it unsafe. He used the rest of the kit but went to Napa and got a Sierra shaft bellows said while not as good as OEM it was safe enough to put on his customer's boat. I see sei brand also. The prices all over the map. Saw one for 1000 bucks wtf. Quicksilver 250. All the way down to 60 bucks for the eBay China stuff. Which one would you put on your boat? I need a source for good one for a reasonable price. This sight doesn't list a price. I guess what I have is a Alpha One Gen 2. I noted the Quicksilver had the molded water hose.
 
Get the OEM mercruiser/quicksilver parts worth the money.

change your water pump impeller unless previous owner has a receipt from recent change out
 
Most companies make nothing in America so its all foreign made and imported.Mercruisers molded hose comes from China, there thermostats come from Israel, so what is oem anymore.
Mercruier/Sierra are comparable most times.
 
Back
Top