Spring launch almost here

[TJK]

Its getting close to launch so I figured I better get off my butt and get my outdrives done. Never worked on them before so it should be interesting. Replacing gimble bearings and u joints, bellows, shift cables and water pumps. Should b good to go after that. The previous owner had her for 10 years and did no maintenance what so ever. Well hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable boating season.

[RGrew176]

Yes, spring has sprung and launch date is coming soon. Hope you get all the issues fixed on your boat and you have a safe and fun season. Not sure when I am going in but hopefully no later than April 15th.

[Viper]

Source of the post Its getting close to launch.... Replacing gimble bearings and u joints, bellows, shift cables and water pumps...... The previous owner had her for 10 years and did no maintenance what so ever......

For future reference, the Fall is the best time to replace gear lube, pull drives, and check u-joints, etc. If there's any water in the gear case, you don't want it there in the winter as this will corrode components and run the risk of splitting the case when it freezes. Same applies to the u-joints. If the bellows sprung a leak, you want to minimize the length of time the input shaft and u-joints are in contact with water. The longer they are, the more expensive the repair.

At the very least, the gear oil should be checked every Fall by pulling the plug so you get a small sample of oil and can see if water comes out. If there's water in there, it should come out first. If water has been there for a while, you'll have creamy oil. Black burnt oil is an indication there's something wrong internally or it simply hasn't been replaced in a while. IMO, the drive should also be removed every Fall, check for water in the bellows, grease the u-joints if applicable, check the gimbal bearing, grease the spines. AND, don't forget to replace the anodes.

Not servicing sterndrives for 10 years is a big no no, and what you think you're saving by not doing anything every year will cost you way more in the long run.

Good luck, I hope you don't run into any problems, and keep us posted on how it goes.

[TJK]

Viper, thanks for the advise. I did check both outdrives before storage and lube in both looked good. First time owning a boat and have lots to learn.

[Viper]

While you're in there, check the condition of the intake hoses and if you have gear lube bottles, check the lines to the drives. If you have erratic trim readings, now's the time to replace the senders and limit switches. This is where you might run into a problem as these bolts usually break if the drive is corroded and they haven't been serviced for years. If the readings are stable, you should still check the condition of the sender wires and replace with new kits if needed. Don't just replace the wires and use butt connectors. Check for play sideways and vertically. A little sideways play is normal but you should have next to no play vertically. If the drive and transom assembly are corroded, you should consider cleaning them up and painting them to help delay the corrosion process. If the drives come off easy, great, if they don't, you should check alignment before putting them back on. That will require an alignment tool.

There are loads of things to check on these drives. Now's the time to do that while you have things apart in case they are close to failing and end up forcing you to go through the whole process again.

PS: This job is a pain to begin with and even harder without the proper tools that make it a heck of a lot easier. some you can get aftermarket, some you can't but can probably make do. There are also aspects of this work that require things to be done in a very specific way or you'll cause other problems. Something seemingly simple like replacing a shift cable entails a specific routing and final setup or you'll never shift properly. You may want to search the net for a service manual (they're out there) and follow it closely.

[TJK]

Thanks viper. I forgot to mention that yes I do plan on replacing trim senders and anodes. The mechanic at my marina said i could borrow all the tools I need to do the job right from him. He also told me that if I get stuck on something he would stop and walk me through it. So it should go pretty well I hope. Lol. Once again thanks for the good info