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Help with DP-A drive removal

Q

quint

Contributing Member
Can someone please help me. I'm trying to find out if it is necessary to use the VP pin removal tool 885148 in order to remove the hook up fork pin lock bolt? This tool cost over $300 and I'm hoping there is someone out there that has removed this model drive without having to buy this tool. If so what tool can you improvise with and any technique advise? Thanks Quint.
 
Quint, unless you need access to items that require the suspension fork to be removed, I'd recommed that you DO NOT.
If doing bellows replacement, for example, you need to remove the transmission ONLY.
Any lower unit work can be done by removing the lower unit ONLY.

Even if you were to remove the Intermediate and suspension fork, I'd still recommend that you remove the transmission FIRST...... re-install Last.
It will be much easier for you this way!

For hinge pin removal:
Heat the aluminum ears on the transom shield before you attempt to remove both the keeper bolts and/or the hinge pins.
This is an important step!
These pins are soft, and can become expanded very easily if not careful........ so DO NOT drive on them with anything harder than an Italian bread stick.
A Brass or Aluminum punch works well.

A small Propane or Mapp Gas torch works well for your heat source......... just be careful with an open flame.

.
 
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Ricardo I thought the whole drive was the transmission. What parts/sections involve the trans? What needs to be removed or whats's involved inorder to replace bushings/seals in the steering fork? Because I have a leak at the tiller arm inside the boat and the drive is seems sloppy/loose when you move it left to right by hand.
 
This is often refered to as a three piece drive.

The top unit is the "upper unit" or "gear head" or aka "transmission".
(This is where the actual gear selection takes place via the sliding sleeve/gear cups.... aka "cone clutch")
Remove Helmet pin, roll helmet up and out of your way.
Loosen bellows band clamp..... slide bellows FWD from clamping collar.
Next, remove two vertical bolts.... remove two 3/8" nuts.... lift, turn sideways, lift up and out.
See an exploded view to help you.

Center section is the "Intermediate" housing. No gears, only one bearing race in the lower-most area of this section.

Lowest drive section is the "lower unit".

The reason that many of use and/or recommend removing trans only.... or remove it first/install last:
  • Often only the transmission needs to be removed for work in this area.
  • It opens the area up for water neck fitting access and shift cable clamp access.
  • The suspension fork and/or Intermediate housing does not often need to be removed.
  • And very importantly..... the Hinge Pins can cause issues for the "non-experienced" person, leaving them with a bad situation if they become expanded from improper techniques being used. Heat is your friend here!

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Thanks Ricardo, so I can remove the steering fork with out removing the susp. fork? I did look @ the exploded view and it seems the susp fork ties into the susp fork...also would a bad steering fork bushing cause a lot of loose side to side play in the drive or could it be something else?
 
Yes you can remove the DP A collar fork with the main fork still in place!

The Main Suspension Fork and the Collar Steering Fork do not come in contact with each other. Not sure that I'm following you on that one.

Define Side to side if you would!
Side to side, as in shifting Port to Stbd..... or as in articulating to Port/Stbd and slop in the steering?
 
Yes part to stb..when the boat got blocked u can grab the transmision and move it left to right as if there is slop in the steering(play). A friend that has a merc noticed it too and said he never saw a drive move that easily L to R whe u shook it....I have pwr steering and unless the engine is running the steering is pretty much stiff as a board. I have noticed at WOT tests @ the end the of season before the boat was pulled the boat seemed unstable at very high rpms/max speed. I was playing with the trim tabs as if they were a piano to keep her from listing to port & stb. ...lower speed not a problem.
 
P/S is usually unnecessary on this drive. However...........

Sounds like you need to remove the collar steering fork, and replace the two bushings.
NOTE that rust and/or corrosion at/from the steel "spindle arm" can make this a real bitch to remove.
Also note that corrosion between the two plastic bushings AND the aluminum ears that capture them, can cause the ID to collapse, making them tighten down on the Collar Steering Fork shaft. The corrosion actually squeezes in on the bushings, causing the ID to become smaller.
This too can be a real bugger!

You'll never be able to remove all side to side play....... not on the Volvo, nor on the Merc. But we can reduce it.

FYI.... wooden wedges can be used between the upper side of the fork and the transom shield. Try to keep from scratching the protective paint.

Good luck on it.

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Thanks again Ricardo..I dread this task because I know I have a s*&% load of corrosion/rust on the spindle arm..the allen bolt on the spindle is so rutsed it looks like it will be siezed and break/strip out. Can I use heat on the spindle arm and the bushing area on top of the fork?
 
quint said:
......................... Can I use heat on the spindle arm and the bushing area on top of the fork?
Click to expand...
Because of the risks in/around your fuel delivery system, I can't recommend "on forum" what heat source to use..... but yes......, heat certainly won't hurt..., in fact, it may be the force that helps you get this apart!
The bushings are being replaced, so no need to concern yourself about them.

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