How to remove & install a Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 2 sterndrive to inspect Bellows & Gimbal bearing

In this video I go through the steps involved in removing the Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen II sterndrive. I show you what to look for when inspecting the bellows, and how to check the gimbal bearing. I also have a look at the universal joints and show you what a good set of U-joints looks like. And of course I show you how to put it all back together again, and a few tips and tricks along the way to make your job a little easier.
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Parts we used:
Quicksilver Extreme Grease: canadawidemari...
Outdrive Gasket kit: canadawidemari...

[@yannih1782]

What an outstanding tutorial! Detailed procedures and why they are required. Thankyou for a superb video...

[@homecraftsolutions3506]

Great detail and your tricks you have learned through the years. Thanks so much.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thanks for watching! And thanks for the kind words.

[@iselili2]

This is by far the BEST video I have watched. Thank you 😘 I was able to do mine all by myself and of course your excellent instruction

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@buffordevans6942]

🙌🏻 yesssss 🤘

[@mjo8856]

Agreed!

[@marcusgebhard567]

hi best video perfect to work with... 100 % have you a video for change the bellows at alpha one gen 2 Thanks marcus

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Yes, a video on replacing the bellows will be done as soon as we get another bellows job through the shop. Thanks for watching.

[@Hawkeye244]

Great video!! Keep doing them. Your experience to help others maintain safety and enjoyment is valuable to many. Any work on 1990’s 3.0 Mercruiser Alpha Ones is and would be amazing!

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thanks! Will do!

[@morkarautogroup2533]

Did you forget the big o ring gasket on the drive unit. The big o ring gasket where the u joint are? I didn’t see it?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I can promise you I did not forget it, but I may have forgotten to mention it in the video. Great catch.

[@dieseldaddy_6seven887]

I noticed a little bit of a hydraulic leak on my out drive today (alpha 1 gen 2). Where are all the possible points it could leak from? Internally?? Looks to be internal of the outdrive. Haven’t taken it apart to see yet

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Hydraulic leaks would be from the trim rams. Oil leaks from the outdrive can come from input and prop shaft seals water pump shaft seals, upper housing seals, as well as monitor bottle hose and fittings, and more. best bet is to pressure test to identify the exact source of the leak.

[@Mike-sn4wd]

Great video. Would love to see a follow on video for gimbal bearing and bellows replacement

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Great suggestion!

[@koraykory2681]

Great Video 👍👏🏻👏🏻 I have a problem; when the trim is up i see water coming from, but when its down position everything is okey; what can you advice me to look 😮

[@fishin11]

You pull it off and don’t check alignment? No grease on shift pivot?? You didn’t clean the old grease out of the valleys of drive shaft??? No new wear pads on side of lower unit???? Go to Mercruiser school, according to specs only have to pull lower unit for inspection every three years unless a problem develops! For you do it yourself arm chair mechanics, if you decide to change bellows yourself, REPLACE THE SEALS IN THE VERTICAL SHIFT SHAFT ALSO!!! Alignment should be checked EVERY time lower is removed as mentioned earlier! When lower unit is out, use flashlight and look into housing past the gimbal bearing and look at the splines in the coupler!!! Coupler splines can be bad but drive shaft splines still look good!!!! Did he say or show where to look for lower unit lube leaks when pulled out, NO!! This guy only showed and said half the story needed to do the job!!! Theres more to check he NEVER mentioned!!!!!! Thumbs down from me on this video, retired marine mechanic here with over 40 years into it!!!

[@davek6461]

Please define check alignment. I am a new boat owner

[@bamann11]

Excellent!!! Would love to see a video of the bellows getting changed on the Alpha 1 Gen 2. Thanks!

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thanks for the feedback Brandon. Bellows change video is on my list, just waiting for the next bellows job to come through the shop.

[@tomeramar2495]

@@CanadaWideMarine Hey Sir, I also need the Bellow Change Video. PLEASE ASAP!!

[@kundrew1990]

Thanks for this very clear and professional. Best example yet .Keep them coming..Dont know if you have done one yet but how to tell if the gimbal bearing is shot.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I touch on the gimbal bearing in the video. Reach in through the bellows and turn the inner race of the gimbal bearing by hand. It should turn freely and smoothly, if it is rumbly or rough or has tight spots at all it is shot.

[@JoediyLab]

Thanks so much, new boat owner, you made it so easy. Also please do a video on how to change the bellows on a Alpha 1 gen 2. Thanks

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Yes, I have many requests for a bellows change video, just waiting for one to come through the shop. Thanks for watching.

[@jimbradley727]

Did u talk about exhaust bellows? If so what time in vid?

[@danielcetan12]

Thank you so much. Excellent presentation, clearly explained, perfectly... Your wisdom was well received.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@oldsalt8011]

Great Video! I need to look and see if you have one changing out the bellows.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I don't have one yet, but I hope one is coming soon.

[@rjblumii]

GREAT video! Would love one that goes through the steps for replacing all the bellows and removal/reinstallation of the gimbal housing!

[@Chris-hx3om]

Gen II drives only need to be remove for inspection every three (3) years (as per Mercruiser's own service manual). A visible inspection of the bellows from the outside is all that's required. MC-1, R, MR and Alpha One drive DO need to be done annually.

[@andrew9638]

Excellent video. I just did mine and it hadn’t been off in years so that felt good to get everything all freed up, greased, and back in with new seals. You made it look easy guiding the u joint shaft back in, that drove me crazy. It kept flopping down and dragging and pulling that large foam 4” seal out of place. Was terrified I’d put it in mashed out of place. Finally got it. Of course I was manually lifting the outdrive so it was torture. Was already tired from jumping in and out of boat 50 times turning over motor trying to get alignment perfect with a coupler that has runout. Thanks for the video.

[@peregrinorosero4390]

Excellent video. Questions. Do we need to drain the transmission oil first?? Thanks.

[@MikeJones-eh6el]

what if I can't turn my prop backwards slightly to line up the splines, I get too much resistance and it wont turn

[@MrJa88tt]

Made it look very easy THANK YOU!

[@sharronhumphries6727]

Thank you so much for sharing this !!!.

[@JDutchman]

I replaced the gear oil in outdrive, is it possible to create a leak at the shifter in rear of drive after replacing oil? the check valve a possibility?

[@froggycellis007]

Easy to follow very complete tutorial. Thanks! Is it okay to spray the bellows with silicone spray or is it unnecessary?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

You could certainly spray your bellows with silicon spray, it will help protect them inside and out.

[@LeifMadsen]

Thanks for this! My wife and brother-in-law own a cottage with a 1996 Mariah Talari 180 with this same setup, and I'm not sure if it's every really received much maintenance. I've been looking for maintenance videos recently to get an idea what I need to go through this spring, and this video is awesome. I'll definitely be going through some of your other videos and purchasing several gasket/rebuild kits for the Alpha stern drive and Mercruiser V6 engine through your site. Hoping to find some videos on fixing the really loose steering and gear shift cables as well. Great work!

[@morsalean1]

Hello, I have a problem with MerCruiser gear lube Reservoir Dribble Valve leaking oil. When I remove the driveshaft unit, oil stops leaking. The valve appear to functioning normally. S.O.S

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Sorry for the late reply, I don't seem to get proper notifications for comments. I'm not exactly sure where you are actually leaking. But I might take a guess that you may need a new gasket between the drive and the gimbal housing?

[@mikew.inversegravitycraft]

Is that a Bravo 1 or 2 or does 1 and 2 have the same seal kits

[@unisuit]

Merc R Drive. what am i doing wrong, the drive goes in almost all the way and stop about one inch short of fully mating up. I've checked alignment and made sure the spline pocket is not over greased. Thanks

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Shift control into forward gear and shift the lower unit into forward gear

[@LucrativeLogan]

I took my drive off and separated both halves to replace all the seals. After I put it back on and took the boat out I found out that it will not fully accelerate. It will go into forward and reverse gear but when I try to speed up the engine bogs down and it won't go any faster. It worked perfectly fine before I took the drive off. Any suggestions? Could the driveshaft not be aligned properly?

[@PatrickThomas-y5v]

By far the best tutorial on this. Thanks

[@25polak]

Thnx, excellent. I did it myself. Greetings from Munich, Germany.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Nice work!

[@ian9397]

The engine crane to hold it up is brilliant... I don't know how I could have done that without seeing you do that... $4 big S hook at Can Tire and my existing engine crane... worked great! Thanks!

[@CanadaWideMarine]

When I was younger I used to do it without the crane, but not anymore! Glad it helped.

[@kenrodenhouse2337]

What about greasing, the U joints?

[@stevemiddleton1699]

Outstanding video! De-mystifying stern drive servicing and care...Thank-you

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alanhigginbotham2474]

You are an excellent instructor. I would really appreciate a video on replacing the bellows on the Alpha I Gen II.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

As soon as a bellows job comes through the shop I will do a video on it. Thanks for the compliment.

[@dennisbrewer8971]

@@CanadaWideMarineany chance you’ve uploaded a bellows job video yet? Tackling that job this weekend on an alpha one gen 2

[@MNDashcam]

Exactly the video I needed

[@MrRjsnowden]

Yearly seems like a bit of overkill for this service? Is this a high usage boat? If you only use the boat two or three times is this needed yearly?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

If you end up with a crack in your drive bellows you want to know about it before the water seizes up your gimbal bearing and universal joints.

[@darrellmarthaller9377]

Having a problem with my boat in gear it’s like the slipping Tracy on a car

[@CanadaWideMarine]

slipping Tracy? I will assume you mean slipping clutch on a car. I will also assume you have a Alpha 1 Gen 2 sterndrive, because that is what is in this video. So, if your boat goes into gear, isn't making any horrible noises when in gear and is moving forward at idle, when you start to accelerate to try to get up on plane the engine rpm climbs but the boat doesn't really go any faster, there are a few things it could be: A spun hub on the propeller. The rubber hub insert in some propellers can become unbonded to the propeller, it may still be a tight press fit in there, so it will drive the boat at idle, but cannot take a load. Cavitation of the propeller. A damaged propeller or something disturbing the water flow in front of the propeller can cause cavitation. Same thing the engine rpm increases but the boat does not go any quicker. look for a stray stick stuck in the transom bracket, transducer that is in a poor location or other things that may disturb the water flow to the propeller if the propeller is in good condition. Growth on the bottom of the hull. If it is a salt water boat, barnacles and other growth on the hull will both disturb the flow of water to the propeller causing cavitation, as well as increase the resistance of the hull moving through the water and will lead to a feeling like a slipping clutch. Another one I saw last month was a hull full of water. Basically a very heavy boat, less of a slipping clutch feeling and more like the boat is just lacking any power and the engine won't reach peak rpm. Hope those ideas help you out. Thanks for watching

[@richardknott2021]

Great educational video..

[@greg9006]

This was extremely helpful! Thank you for making this video.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@craigmonteforte1478]

I had to smile about the Comment of putting a drop cloth down for taking off the Snap Ring. as a Child i was by my Dads side for always working on our Boats ,Cars, etc. my Dad always called them jokingly as Jesus Clips. because when they went Flying people would Yell”Jesus Christ “ where did that damn thing Go ? “ as it took you a few hours looking for that stupid Cir Clip to put it back together as a Joke i bought a mixed assortment. container and gave them to my Dad for Christmas ! My Old Man was not a Professional Mechanic , but he had the knowledge and Ability to Restore Antique Vehicles , Rebuild Engines , work on most Marine drive systems and I’ve seen him rebuild Automatic Transmissions

[@germanpenagarcia4581]

Hello friend, great video!! I have a question for you, it turns out that I disassembled it because the gears did not engage, now when watching your video I realized that my boat was poorly assembled, the linkage, but when I put the reverse while I turn the cardan, the gear remains engaged and when I stop it it automatically stops. it jumps and shifts into forward gear, is this normal or is something wrong with the clutch system? Thank you very much in advance and greetings from Argentina!!!

[@davidg1950]

This video was so very well done and a great help for me! I have a 1988 EBKO Monte Carlo with a Alpha one Gen 1 drive and the video still answered my question perfectly. GREAT JOB THANKS!

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Glad it helped!

[@josephjamison183]

Its a good video, but its not needed to remove the outdrive and inspect it every year under normal use. I mean most people will only use a typical family boat 3 months of the year and put 50 hours a year on it in the Northwest. In this case, once every 5 years is fine. Oil changes can go every 2 years and this is 40x more than a car would get done for the same hours.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

You know better than the engineers that designed this stuff and called out the service intervals so I will now change all my customers to inspections every 5 years. When they end up with water in the bellows from leaking bellows three years ago that has seized up their u joints and gimble bearing they will be comforted to hear that josephkersey8606 told me it only needs inspections every five years. Thank you for sharing your vast experience and knowledge.

[@josephjamison183]

@@CanadaWideMarine In the market I'm in on the west coast, Marine Services are astronomical in terms of Price. Thanks to you and all the youtube videos, it allows me to own a boat since I can save about 300 per hour and do it myself. The boat I recently purchased is a 19' 2003 Glastron with a 5.0 mercruiser. The boat has about 120 total hours on it, its been garaged since new, it looks immaculate inside engine area, but I recently noticed from looking underneath, there is a couple of cracks in the exhaust bellow. This will be a winter project, I will fix it. I'm not noticing much water in the boat after 3 hours on the water, maybe 1 quart of water total. Not even enough to need to bilge pump . I need to take the boat out again, this water could have came from my kids comming back in after going on the float tube. I know the previous owner never did any major service accept for winterization, new fluids and grease

[@3rdEye__FPV]

What if there is milky oil in your drive shaft housing?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I assume by driveshaft housing, you mean "bellows"? If you have milky oil in your bellows there are two likely possibilities, first, and most likely, you have water in your drive, so your drive oil is also milky, and it is leaking out the input seal into the bellows. Second, I guess its possible that you have an oil leak from your drive into your bellows, with no water in your drive, mixing with water that is leaking into your bellows, and causing the milkyness. First thing to do is to check your drive oil. If you have water in your drive, it settles in the bottom, remove the bottom drain plug and let a little oil out to inspect it. Or just change your oil anyway. If there is water, or it is milky, you will need to re-seal your drive.

[@bobbykennedy4274]

Wish he eighter turn up his microphone or get closer to it so I can here what he's saying

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Yes, sorry about that, I have since got a new microphone.

[@justinowens9323]

Yeah my parents have the bravo it’s got a 454 thunder bolt ignition something or another sounds great thank you for the vid brush up on what to do and yes my back wasn’t to happy about me taking that bravo off alone if can recommend anything for ppl working alone especially if like me at only 120 put a peace of wood down ply wood so if you did drop the drive won’t hit concrete and don’t scratch up for sliding it

[@freemarlochip]

Awesome video which helped re-assure me I could do this job. Found my gasket blown out near middle bolt wth grease coming out. Do you know what would cause the gasket to blow out? I did find the nuts to not be very tight on there, not near 50ft/lb torque.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Without inspecting it myself I would only be guessing at possible causes, but the most probable would be improper installation.

[@markbailey6051]

Thank you for the video. Do you recommend OEM or not for the billows?

[@frankpower3905]

Excellent video! Very detailed and thorough explanations! Thank you!

[@johney1973]

Nice, practical and useful (cool guy ) keep filming! - Yama 50 HP owner.

[@iamacarnut]

Ok cool...off to give it a try...will also take it with me and do it step by step....thanks...

[@jimbradley727]

Normally I don't watch long videos or my friends from North North America eh...but you have started at the beginning of the process...go figure..exactly what I needed...not all Canadians are weird lol...thx for the excellent step by step vid with commentary...

[@Blitzkrieg.u812]

Awful one

[@Blastsbeatstilldeath]

Thanks for the video. You made it so much easier to do this. On my way to my shop to grab a motor jack.

[@robertnguyen7052]

thanks

[@CurtisCustomsandAdventures]

hi, I am trying to do this process on my sterndrive. The problem I'm having is the shift linkage is stuck in the neutral position. I have disconnected the lower shift cable and tried prying over the linkage on the lower unit but it seems to be frozen solid. Is there something I'm missing? Is there anyway I can fix this?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Well first you will need to work out why and where the shift is frozen, then free that up. If I had to guess I would say the lower shift cable is seized in it's housing, in which case I would trim the drive up all the way and cut the lower cable off with a zip cut wheel as close to the stern drive as possible.

[@CurtisCustomsandAdventures]

@@CanadaWideMarine Thanks for the reply! I'll continue trying to find where its seized but if not, then I'll cut the line. Do you have a video on hoe to replace lower shift cable?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Not yet, I haven't had to do one in quite a while. But as soon as I get one through the shop I will do a video on it.

[@CurtisCustomsandAdventures]

@@CanadaWideMarine thank you! Keep up the informative videos!

[@WillGreen-u6j]

Absolutely excellent video - many thanks!

[@darrellmarthaller9377]

Perfectly explained thank you . Huge help👍🏻

[@daisey000]

What if I have the same motor and the gear oil is leaking inside the boat. What could be the problem?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Couple things are possible. Input shaft seal behind the u joints could be leaking, oil then travels thru the bellows and gimble bearing into the boat. or the monitor bottle or monitor bottle tube/ connections could be leaking somewhere. It's easy to pop the drive off and check the input shaft seal, and bellows and u joint. If it's dry in there start checking monitor bottle and hose.

[@daisey000]

I check the tube coming from reservoir and it’s dry. It wet under the shaft going into the motor

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Sounds like an input shaft seal, time to remove the drive and have a look

[@TerryBoivin]

Very well done video! Clearly showing the steps! Audio was very clear as well. Would love to see a video from you on bellows replacement! Thanks.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thank you, yes, planning on a bellows video, just waiting on the next bellows job to come through the shop.

[@awesomemodzzz6856]

commercials .....

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I'm sorry about the commercials, but they do help fund a little bit of the time it takes for me to make the videos and manage the channel. Things like replying to comments and such.

[@tynaia78]

Gosh this is best video I saw so far Thanks for sharing, I do have one question during the video you stopped it at 20:02 then you went back doing what you were doing but the propeller wasn’t in the same spot and something else was just a little bit off but anyways was that when you were having troubles and you didn’t want to share with us you kicking things around with a few ugly words? Anyways just very curious because I’m fixing to take one a part from someone who worked on it and I’m not sure if he did anything you did to yours so far what he said to me didn’t match up his words so I’m scared to find something bad in my new project.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Hi Jason, I don't remember exactly what was going on installing this drive, I recorded a year ago, and have done a pile of them since. What I can say is that trying to do things with a camera in the way, and so the camera can see the important parts is really challenging at times, so I may have just been in an awkward position while filming. Good luck with your project, and thanks for watching.

[@emagee7864]

Thank you for giving me the confidence to do my own maintenance and save a ton of money.

[@joegordon3284]

Well done. Thanks for thorough instructions.

[@jsanchezz123]

Awesome video. Thank you. Just subscribed. Question. My gear shift selector disengages sometimes as I go from fwd to neutral back to fwd. Forces me to jump in the water and quickly adjust it. Why does that happen?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Not quite sure what you have going on. What make and model are we talking about, and what are you adjusting from in the water?

[@autodog618]

Great how too. Keep em coming, eh! A question and a request. Why glue the o-ring in place on the water pick-up inlet? Would be SUPER great to do a similar how too on the modern Bravo III drive removal and replacement. I know there are some subltle and not so subtle differences between these very widely used drives. I would do my own annual Bravo if I had a similar vid.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I glue the o ring so it doesn't fall out of position while installing the sterndrive. Yes, a Bravo video is in the works, thanks for asking.

[@weinerpugdad]

Ive done everything as you have done it but my outdrive engages when i try to start it .the lever for forward and reverse is stiff going into reverse. What am i doing wrong

[@CanadaWideMarine]

My guess is that you did not have both the drive and control fully into forward gear when you installed the drive.

[@weinerpugdad]

@CanadaWideMarine ok how to I make sure both are in forward gear .especially the outdrive thanks for helping

[@CanadaWideMarine]

@@weinerpugdad Shift control all the way forward. On the outdrive there is a lever at the very front, an upside down L shape, it must be pointed straight ahead to line up with the corresponding slotted lever on the transom, (bellhousing). It will move away from straight ahead very easily, so be careful, turning the propeller backwards a little helps it to stay engaged.

[@weinerpugdad]

OK with that lever it won't move to the left just the right. With it in the forward position is that drive

[@CanadaWideMarine]

sorry, I thought I replied to this message , I'll try again. Yes, with the lever in the straight ahead position, that is forward gear.

[@randywendel]

Awesome video. My out drive has SE 106 written on it. What model do you think that is? It’s on a 1986 Cobalt. Thanks Randy

[@CanadaWideMarine]

SE 106 is a replacement for the Mercruiser Alpha One made by Sterndrive Engineering, SEI. Thanks for the compliment.

[@JonRogers-f2s]

Great video, I was able to inspect my new 1995 Searay gimble and bellow. Got a LOT of oil on seal due to struggling to get all aligned, could the integrity of seal be compromised?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Which seal are you referring to? Oil on the gasket is not a problem.

[@JonRogers-f2s]

@@CanadaWideMarine the large gasket between the upper section of the outdrive and the transom housing

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I grease that gasket so it is easier to remove next year, so the oil will not be a problem at all, just a mess to clean up.

[@JonRogers-f2s]

@@CanadaWideMarine

[@JonRogers-f2s]

@@CanadaWideMarine Thank You!

[@FishingAdventures-c1y]

You are a master. Thank you for such an informative video. I now consider myself a certified KZbin mechanic, who will now be pulling off my stern drive and inspecting my gimbal bearing and bellows.

[@lucidthoughts4519]

Would this process be any different on a Bravo xr? Thank you. Awesome video!

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Not much different, the shift connects a little differently, so pay attention to that, particularly as you re-assemble it.

[@jeffreycrocker2317]

I rewatched but didn't hear you say it. Is it necessary to drain the drive unit when doing this type of inspection? I apologize if you said it and I missed it.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

You do not have to drain the drive to remove it. There is a check valve in the line from the gear lube monitor bottle that will close when the drive is removed, so the monitor bottle does not drain either.

[@jaredthompson1522]

Followed everything to a tee and mine won’t come off

[@CanadaWideMarine]

If it's been on a long time it can become very difficult to remove. Gentle work with a screwdriver, as a wedge on the parting surfaces, then a prybar once you can get one in there may help.

[@andrew9638]

I haven’t tried this on an out drive but one time I used a plastic tree felling wedge to separate a stuck pressure washer pump off a motor. It puts a lot of wedging/ impact force when you hammer it without damaging the metal!

[@johnlagreca6288]

Nice video. It's nice to see a mechanic who knows how to torque fasteners using feel, knowledge and experience.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thank you, 43 years and counting.

[@johnlagreca6288]

Where you hold the ratchet, fastener material, arm position, etc are all factors.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Only someone who has similar experience would recognize that.

[@johnlagreca6288]

@@CanadaWideMarine European cars since 1980. I was skeptical about this job as my brother years ago told me it was a nightmare to do by yourself. He must not have been working on an Alpha it seems (1988 or so).

[@orlandothings2403]

Great video thank you! I need to dig in and do bellows and bearing on my 03, any recommendations for videos on the bellows and gimbal?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I haven't yet done a video on gimbal bearing or bellows, but as soon as a bellows job comes through the shop I will.

[@tom87112]

Thank you for that! Where did get the lifting hook? I've searched everywhere and cant find one.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I made it. I think I modified an "S" hook off an old ratchet strap.

[@jose66729]

hey boddy and the minute 3:08 you said some about 1/4 inch turn twist.!! mine is broke how can l buy what is the name please thank you

[@CanadaWideMarine]

if you email us the serial number of your drive we can get one for you. [e-mail]

[@alanbeaupre2533]

Great video! Thank you!😊

[@joncuti7465]

Awsome video thank you sir

[@OvertheRoadVideos]

I have a leak on my 1997 Maxum 1700SR with 3.0 Alpha One, coming from behind the motor on transom. Could this be a bellows issue? And is it easy to fix? I learned a lot watching this one so far so thank you! Link to the leak. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIDTg5dpjqyZea8

[@CanadaWideMarine]

It could be a bellows issue, checking the bellows is easy enough. Your exhaust is also down there and I have seen the exhaust tube corroded and leaking. First step is to remove the drive and check the bellows. If raising and lowering the drive changes the amount of water flowing it is even more likely it is the bellows, leaking more as they are stretched open when tilting the drive. And Before you ask, yes, I will be doing a video on bellows just as soon as a bellows job comes through the shop.

[@OvertheRoadVideos]

@@CanadaWideMarine Thanks! I will attempt that soon, I think I have the confidence after watching your video, not afraid of working on cars but this is a little new. On a difficulty level, how hard is it to change out the bellows? I think I see 3 of them.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Driveshaft bellows aren't too difficult, if they are leaking you will also need to change your gimbal bearing. Gimbal bearing isn't too bad to change, but you really need an alignment tool to line it up before putting the drive back on. Shift cable bellows aren't too bad on a 3.0, you can get to the backside to feed the cable in and out. We usually replace the lower shift cable while we are in there, because it is coming out to replace the bellows anyway. There is an adjustment for the shift cable that you need to have pretty accurate for proper shifting. Exhaust bellows can be a real pain, only replace them if you really need to. The special tool for them helps alot.

[@osbilleable]

Like a pro. bro. Thank you much.

[@stevekline8018]

Can you email me. Chasing a leak into bilge. But all bellows etc. replaced

[@CanadaWideMarine]

I would need your email address email us here: [e-mail]

[@wyoprospector]

Great video thank you. How easy should the driveshaft turn in neutral? It looked pretty easy when you lined it up for insertion.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

the driveshaft turns quite freely in neutral. But you do have the drag of the water pump impeller. (unless you have an engine mounted bravo pump)

[@LanceKingvox]

Thank you so much!

[@benbrubaker418]

Very nice how to. Thank you

[@DjStalin100]

Great video. My question is when inspecting mine, I noticed my trim rams stop short of trimming all the way down. Goes all the way up but not all the way down. Trim sending switches are good. Pulled off rams but did not disconnect hydraulic system. I can’t push pistons in and out but they rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. Should the ram pistons go in and out by pushing on them? Thanks

[@CanadaWideMarine]

As long as the cav plate is pointed up at the front, relative to the waterline, when trimmed all the way down you are good. And no you cannot push the rams in by hand. If you can move them by pushing on the the thrust of the propeller would move the leg up and down.

[@DjStalin100]

@@CanadaWideMarine 👍

[@theDanK814]

great video! I have a alpha 1 gen 1 and noticed a slight motor oil leak from the stern around the bellows on the right side...do you think it simply needs new gaskets and o-rings?

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Well, there is no motor oil in that area, perhaps you are seeing a gear oil leak? If it's gear oil there are several areas that it could be leaking from in that area. The gaskets and o rings we replace in the video do not seal any gear oil, so replacing them will not resolve an oil leak. I highly recommend having a marine mechanic perform a pressure test to identify the cause of the leak and advise on the best way to repair it. Then you can decide if you want to tackle it yourself. Thanks for watching.

[@charlesaudette129]

Exceptional clarity! Wow. I must now find YOUR video on replacing the u joints.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

As soon as I get a u joint job through the shop I will do a video on the process. Thanks for watching.

[@BlueEyeTableRockLake]

Question, I've got a gear drive oil drip that looks to be coming from the shifting rod coming through the gimbal shift fork/rod. I'm pretty sure that is an exhaust port that that shaft passes through so I'm not sure where to oil is dripping from. Maybe just the out drive gasket? Anyone else had this issue? (Alpha 1 gen 1)

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Could it possibly be dripping from the universal joint bellows? Perhaps you have an input shaft seal leaking oil into the bellows which is then leaking onto the shift rod? Without seeing the actual leak I can only guess at what might be happening.

[@BlueEyeTableRockLake]

@@CanadaWideMarine Yes I know, but sometimes you hear back from someone that had the exact same problem... I found the 6 upper drive housing bolts alittle loose, tightened them up and cleaned it up. All I know is it's gear oil. Next step is to pull the unit. Needs service anyway. Just seemed odd at first sight appeared to be coming from the upper shift rod. Bellows and shift cable were replaced about 4 years ago or 30 hours. We only take it out 3 or 4 times a year. Thanks, I'll let you know what I find.

[@SuperJ24]

I am very appreciative of this video. Also, I am terrified of what I'm going to find when I tackle this project on my boat. Because, bellows....what bellows? I don't need to remove the stern drive to see that it's in bad shap. Basically, it's trash.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

If you are talking about your driveshaft bellows then I suggest plan on replacing your driveshaft/u joint assembly and gimbal bearing as well.

[@SuperJ24]

@@CanadaWideMarine fortunately, after a quick look, I think I’m just seeing the exhaust bellows. The other looks in tact.

[@jhchome52]

Pleasure watching you work!! Good video! Thank you

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thanks for the kind words, so glad you enjoyed it.

[@davidswan3018]

I agree. This is the best video I have seen, by far! Than you so much.😊

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words and support.

[@wolfgangfrietsch1333]

Great video, now I understand more about Mercruiser Alpha one. Thank you.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leathermule4824]

Excellent presentation 👍

[@WhiteEagle76771]

Doesn't just slide in

[@CZ530]

Thank you so much for the perfect video. I was hoping for alittle help. I'm losing gear oil somewhere and want to fix it myself, not sure what seal it could be. I had the coupler replaced less then a year ago and don't know why I'm losing oil now, the shop was a joke and don't want to deal with them again. 3300$ and now I have issues. hoping all I have to do is what you just did in this video. if you're able to suggest seals to replace that would be so much appreciated. No water getting in just losing about 4oz each small outing. I'm thinking the oil is in the bellows if that's possible. ? Any information would be greatly appreciated, If the seals i need to replace go beyond this video I feel time/knowledge is worth $, if you were to help me with some questions I wouldn't hesitate to send ya $ for your help. Thanks so much for atleast reading. Take care. (1993 alpha one gen 2 350mag)

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Hello D, Well, the first thing to do is to identify where the leak is exactly. Once we know where it is leaking then we can work out a suitable plan of action to repair. Generally for a leak that size, if it is not visible when we remove the drive we will pressure test it. I haven't covered pressure testing in my videos yet as it is generally a little more advanced requiring specialized adapters. In basic terms we remove a drain plug, (Upper or lower doesn't matter), and attach a fitting with a pressure/vacuum gauge on it. We pressurize the drive and wait. if the drive is empty of oil we use soapy water around all the seals and look for bubbles. In your case I would do it with the drive full, let it sit pressurized overnight, then see what I see. Gear lube is very thick and it takes a while for it to leak out so I generally leave it overnight. Use 5 psi maximum. 2 or 3 psi should make it leak. Too much pressure and you will just push seals out. Once you have identified the leak, feel free to email your findings to me at [e-mail], along with any photos you may want. I will also need the serial number of your drive to accurately identify it. From there I will assist as much as possible. Just so you are prepared, there is only so much I can do from a distance. Watch this video for more information: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnLNk3qQncaakKM Our videos have a button on the bottom labelled "Thanks", where you can purchase a thank you if you like. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching.

[@CZ530]

@@CanadaWideMarine Thank you so much for the reply! I have a snap on vacuum gauge that pumps up, I can modify something to fit in the vent hole. After this reply I'll contact you through email once I remove drive and pressure test it to know more. Thank you, thank you! I will most definitely purchase a thank you!!

[@CZ530]

​@@CanadaWideMarine turns out the yoke seal is bad and the gimble bearing due to all the oil inside the gimble housing rubbing away the grease. lucky I caught it in time or I'd be doing another coupler, thank goodness! taking to a recommended local guy to replace bearing and seal tomorrow. thanks for your help!

[@tonyrichno4392]

Great video. I have water coming in through what looks like a weep hole above the drive shaft where it goes through transom. Boat fills up pretty good overnight, and can't see water coming in anywhere else. When running engine it actually squirts out a little bit. New boat to me and I've never been into that gimbal/outdrive assembly. Boots all look OK externally, but obviously impossible to see well. Seems like it pretty well has to be the boot. Am I thinking right here? Any insight you can provide is much appreciated. Do you ship in the US with reasonable timing and customs hassle? Your videos are great and I would love to support your business as a thank you.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

You definitely want to remove your drive and check the driveshaft bellows. If it is them that is leaking you will need to replace your gimbal bearing and most likely your driveshaft/u-joint assembly. We do ship to the US but generally our pricing is higher so you are better off shopping locally. Thank you for your kinds words and support.

[@tonyrichno4392]

@@CanadaWideMarine thanks.. pulled it apart. Driveshaft bellows was leaking due to not being clamped well or glued at all on transom end.. someone did a poor job of a replacement sometime in the past before I bought the boat. Replaced all the boots, gimbal bearing and u joints. Your video was very helpful. Thanks again.

[@marlonsgarage8525]

I have gear drive oil leaking on my bilge room coming from drive shaft i think. Does replacing those shaft oring solves that? My first boat, Rookie here please advise thanks.

[@CanadaWideMarine]

Hi Marlon, Nice truck in your profile pic, is that yours? Unfortunately the o rings will not stop your gear oil leak. If the oil is definitely coming from your driveshaft you will have oil in your bellows when you remove the drive. (Have a look at the video I did on removing a volvo sx sterndrive, it has oil in the bellows). If that is the case then you will need to replace the driveshaft seal on the front of the drive. This requires some special tools. The other place gear oil can be leaking into your bilge is from the drive oil monitor bottle or the hose that goes from the bottle to the transom plate. That hose connects to the transom bracket near the driveshaft so it could look like the oil is coming from the driveshaft.

[@marlonsgarage8525]

@@CanadaWideMarine good morning, Thank you replying i appreciate it. No the truck in the picture is not mine, but i am currently restoring the exact truck which the end result will be that picture. I have an mercruiser alpha one drive. I already checked and traced the gear oil reservoir line no leak there. I saw leak is definitely coming from the drive shaft. I will take it apart replace the drive shaft seal and order the tools and seals necessary to complete the task in my shop. Thanks again!