How To Remove an Outdrive | The Easy Way

outdrive stuck? or Can't get outdrive off? This video shows how to remove an Mercruiser Alpha One Gen 2 outdrive. Similar process to remove a Bravo outdrive.
If you need a new gasket: amzn.to/3ifBJ58
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Credit to MadPropsMakes for the removal technique: • How to Remove a STUCK ...
Boat Info: 1998 Bayliner Capri 1850 LS
Engine Info: Mercruiser 3.0L Engine Inboard / Outdrive (I/O)
Watch the Entire Boat Restoration from the Beginning:
1998 Bayliner Boat Restoration Videos: • 1998 Bayliner Restorat...
Contact Info:
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: _zachsgarage

[@donewithutube]

I was a boat mechanic for 7 years. I was today years old when I learned this trick. Thanks for sharing (I hope I never work on another boat 🤞)

[@MBPatton]

I beat, I banged, pryed, and heated to no success. Reinstalled the ram and put in a piece of 2x4 on the top as shown and using the trailer button raised the outdrive and bang, the outdrive was loose. !!!! ZACH, you saved my $135/hour mechanics ass.

[@redbeard19833]

Man, you saved me! Thanks! I think the whole neighborhood heard me cuss at my outdrive. I got it off with your method and luckily my u-joints and bellows look great (I just bought this boat). Thanks again!

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@edwinwise6751]

Zach this is a genius way to accomplish drive removal . I actually had a mercruiser shop ruin my gimbal trying to pry it off with screwdriver. Thanks

[@geoffshafer6896]

I gave this a try... I was a little worried about stripping the screws on the bell housing, but it wasn't an issue and it came off incredibly easily - Feel like this video saved me a world of frustration.

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@jakeroth5809]

That 4 x4 did wonders on my drop thank you so much for that trick I have spend hours before dropping my out drive and that took 5 minutes 🙏👍

[@g00dy135]

Hey dude, thanks for the tip! We had to pull one that was at a slight angle and couldn’t get it to break the seal! I told my coworker I saw your video and showed him! We put the block in there and it popped immediately! Love this method!!!

[@ZachsGarage1]

That was the same reaction I had when I tried it the first time! Glad it helped!

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@kevinbock6096]

Good trick, but I've already disconnected everything, Think I'll use my porta power. Great Short Video... Thanks.

[@Arcturian1111]

Awesome. It took me forever to take my Alpha drive off. Not anymore. Thanks man.

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@MSJDesign]

You, Sir are a saint and a scholar and I thank you. God thanks you!

[@DIGOLOGIST]

That is Awesome ! I may be doing that if my oil leak gets any worse. Thanks for the update

[@markbailey6051]

Smarter not harder! Thanks

[@beefcakes27]

Great technique and tips..!!! Knowledge and capability are power...

[@austinsingleton5899]

Excellent video pulling my engine tomorrow and will give this a try. Thanks

[@roncupp7453]

Wish you would of advised about the speedometer cable in your first video I have been struggling trying to get this apart now I know thank you

[@Thewrightstuff777]

Very slick trick. I’ll put that one in the toolbox for sure.

[@ZachsGarage1]

gosh, it really is! I remember it took me hours trying to shake the outdrive off without that trick

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@eesjunin78]

On point with the lever aligning to come off! However mine wasn’t coming off with shift forward…. Because it’s a twin, so my port side is otherway around - it has to be in reverse for the lever to align! But nonetheless you clarified all important steps! Thank you!

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@zad2426]

Great video, Zach! You're helping a lot of people with your channel. I am about to remove my outdrive - Alpha One Gen 1. Before doing it, I thought it worth asking you for an idea of the problem in my case. I hit a rock with the propeller last autumn, at a very low speed. The engine kept running, but the propeller stopped rotating (in both directions it doesn't rotate anymore when I put it in gear). Now I hear a rattling noise inside the outdrive, both in neutral and in gear, close to the boat area. Any idea what it could be, what to look at? I am trying to avoid disassembling more than I should. I am not a mechanic... learning from your videos.

[@ZachsGarage1]

well somewhere or another a gear stripped. it could even be the mechanism that puts it into gear. the level I show that has to be straight when putting the outdrive on

[@zad2426]

@@ZachsGarage1 It's Friday night and you're active... 😃 Thanks for the reply! I'll have to remove the outdrive in this case... no choice. Another occasion to stay closer to your channel. I'm grateful for your efforts.

[@eclipser2004]

The speedometer connector on mine has a little button you push in and lift up. Took me a couple of minutes to figure that out as no one mentioned it.

[@mylesoffgrid]

I'm about to do thus and just for for thought. Why not loosen the nuts almost all the way. Then pit pressure on it. Then tap it to get it to release. Might be a little less harsh and not pop off all the way😊

[@davehemmingsen833]

wish you would give more description about how to remove the speedometer cable and the shift lever

[@andrewbrown1463]

Do I need to drain the gear lube before removing?

[@mikenice571]

Can you please make a video on how to reinstall it?

[@ZachsGarage1]

Will do!

[@floridagirl386]

​@ZachsGarage1 did you end up doing one?

[@toddcornelius5817]

Very good video.thank you

[@gatorsaw3315]

Still the long way around it and a chance to accidentally pull your gimble bearing out. Broom stick under and drop the drive with rams off. Some ungreased drives that have been on forever if you try to do your ram method you can bust your trans assy.. Have more that 1000 drives under my belt and you have not seen one thats really stuck like an old R drive or a number 1 drive that has lived in salt dif methods apply at that point.. Great vid btw

[@eduardocoutinho1131]

Thanks Zachs for video. I can’t get my Bravo 3 outdrive out at all. Its like stuck in the engine. Even with several 100 lbs of force from a scissors jack The shaft just seems stuck in the engine coupler. Any ideas ? I am being told that the the shaft will have to be cut off and the engine than will have to be removed to install a new coupler for the Outdrive. Any thoughts would be appreciated

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@Project2Potential]

Smart idea with the block of wood! Also, I might be wrong with this, but when you reinstall the outdrive does the drive shaft have to go back in the same way? for balancing purposes?

[@ZachsGarage1]

the splines need to line up, but I don't know about balancing

[@ashipshow]

nope, doesn't matter, just need to make sure your engine alignment is good from time to time... thats part of what can make it hard to remove the drive in the first place...

[@johndickerson5015]

No just make very sure the alignment is checked because the gimbal bearing must be in line with the engine splines There are lots of videos out there on how to do this with an alignment tool. Since it’s a good idea to pull the drive out after a season to check out leaks and ujoints etc it’s well worth the $$ to grab one. When reinstalling if the splines dont match up the big deal is not to force the drive on. Take your time. Sometimes the diriveshaft just needs to be rotated slightly to get them to line up. The best procedure I have seen is from sterndrives.com in writing.

[@magnusbondesson6008]

Thanks! Great tip!

[@Itsmeliamp]

Brother saved me here in Chicago

[@darylsublette5010]

I need to pull my engine to replace a freeze plug. After this video, is there another part of the out drive to remove before I can start pulling the motor? ( I watched the motor removal video)

[@ZachsGarage1]

All you need is the outdrive out since it has the drive shaft

[@rafeeqal-hashemi181]

Thanks for your video. I have a question if you can help with this. Is there an easy way to fix a little play access in the outdrive?

[@ZachsGarage1]

do you mean play in the steering? like it has too much play in the side-to-side wiggle?

[@rafeeqal-hashemi181]

Yes, there is a little play. I can move the outdrive left and right.

[@johndickerson5015]

Id highly recommend looking up the shop manual for the engine and drive Take a look at iBoats and through the forums you can find the link to the manuals

[@floridagirl386]

​@@rafeeqal-hashemi181what did you end up finding

[@garretmin]

The Trim Ram Jack Trick maybe could be done with a Floor Jack if Trim Rams are not operational.

[@floridagirl386]

How the hell do you get the speedo connector mine is sticking

[@devinvian7173]

Wow! Cool trick

[@kalyananaramansantanam6006]

hi zachs, i see you where mentioning about a tubing as " speedometer" wiring, may i know how this functions, this is a tube, i am not sure where it is connected to the engine and in my boat it is ripped off, i need to replace the tubing too, please advice.

[@ZachsGarage1]

It doesn't connect to the engine. Its just for the speedometer gauge on the dash, it's not really needed.

[@kalyananaramansantanam6006]

@@ZachsGarage1 understood, thanks a lot for your support, i watch your videos and got interest in mercruiser engine and bought a 19 foot boat and engine for each USD 1464 each ! sounds crazy ! , i bought this an year before and assembling the boat, almost done, including trailer extensions, complete wiring of boat, roof top, some crazy stuff, but i am ok with all mistakes i do too, thanks a lot for the inspiration. I am indian, living thailand. You can do any stuff in thailand as i get all the spares from china at dead cheap prices. thanks once again.

[@captainpanda5533]

Is there an easy way to do this if the battery is dead? Obviously, the power trim won't work then.

[@captainpanda5533]

Hey, Zach, I actually answered my own question on this just a few minutes ago. If you remove the trim ram axle, you can use the 'small piece of wood' trick and just lift the outdrive to lever it off.

[@COSMACELF1802]

Great video, but where am I going to find a wood block? (just kidding). The other comments below are helpful too (reverse vs forward, speedometer clip, alignment, etc). I wonder what the torque is for the bolts on reassembly? Thanks Zach for another straight to the point and very informative video. I don't understand the gear thing, but I'm sure once I see my unit, it will make sense now that I know where it's separating from.

[@ZachsGarage1]

I don't know the lb ft maybe 90?

[@MotorsbyShooter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-xpYZ8nb-EaLc

[@TEKKKNO]

I did it before and yesterday want to tear it down but won't loose coz corrosion with the time

[@jeffhaight4230]

I'd like to send you $5 for this video that helped me.

[@HoldFast-un2fc]

Right on

[@rudyf83]

I did this and now my gimbal bearing is way off..i think it moved the housing.. it looks like it moved about an 1/8 inch

[@bobtate6812]

Saved my day today, block of wood. Drive would not come out other vice.

[@ZachsGarage1]

It really is an awesome trick!

[@mvanderw379]

Nice!

[@MrTwyres]

Good.

[@drewaquino4631]

Wow. . Wish I knew this before I went through hell.

[@ZachsGarage1]

Me too 😝

[@charithpadmajithpalihaderu5253]

👍👍✌️✌️💪💪👊

[@JKURR]

I’m thinking my gimbal bearing is done so I may have to this. Do you agree this is what’s making this sound? kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4POdYRpnMplgJY

[@ZachsGarage1]

It's difficult to tell where the sound is coming from in the video. it could be something inside the engine. Pretty easy to check if it's the gimbal. Remove the outdrive and try to turn the gimbal bearing by hand

[@JKURR]

@@ZachsGarage1 thank you for the reply. I’ll pull the drive using your easy technique. Keep up the great work sharing your videos, I appreciate them.

[@johnstinnett1571]

not sure that's entirely your problem. Sounds like you've got something seized up in the engine. Couldn't leave a comment on your video but curious about what you found the issue to be.

[@JKURR]

@@johnstinnett1571 I had a spun bearing (#2 con rod). First time I’ve ever had to disassemble and put engine back together. All thanks to Zachs channel and a few other YT vids. 👍

[@schrammer999]

Guys who talk with 'fry-voice'...🙄

[@johnathonuncapher7523]

What is fry voice