winter storing w/o drive ?

[ziggy]

i needed to do some work on my drive last fall. so it got stored inside last year. that worked good and since i had to pull it to do end of year pm anyways this year, i think i'll store it in the basement again. so the question. i used a regular plastic kitchen garbage bag bungeed onto the bellhousing last year, seemed to work ok and didn't rip and blow away in the sub zero and high winds. but is there something others use or make that's better than the garbage bag idea?

don't look to great, but seems to work. must be something cooler than this...

it's a 75 mercruiser 1 drive....

was happy after removal. gimble brg. smooth as ice, alignment bar slipped right in a bottomed out, removed easy, equal spline grease on the bar, no water intrusion, no drive oil, still had spline grease on the coupler and drive shaft, nice clean 2-4-c on the shift lever and the nose of the drive..
musta done something right last fall with everyones help here. thanks... i'm sure i did over a hundred hours this season. made it out generally 3 times a week, april till now... ya all helped me good....

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

Yes, there is a product in either Overton's or Boatfix' catalogue that is a bolt on plastic cover, with a gasket, specifically for this situation. I have one and like it. Prior to that, I used a piece of cardboard cut to fit, with duct tape to seal it. That works well, and doesn't rip or move.

 

[ziggy]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

thanks tw. found one on boatfix. yep that'd work dandy i bet. $30 or so.

so when ya used yer cardboard, what'd ya do about the shift slide sticking out? guess i'm thinking about making something. use the new gasket for a template. boating wore my wallet out this year..... i got some old panaling around that could work, maybe. but the shift slide sticking out would bum me....

 

[Don S]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

You can buy a lot of trash bags for the price of the covers. One suggestion, use a dark colored trash bag. A lot less condensation compared to the clear and white.
A plywood cover traced from a gasket can be made with a cutout around the shift cable slide. Then be inventive for something to fit over the slide. Drill a hole where the slide is and glue and Advil bottle in it. (Just looked on my computer desk for somehthing that might work.) or build something out of plywood and glue it.
Paint it black and it will last a few years.

How about an old used upper housing???

 

[ziggy]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

How about an old used upper housing???

well, i do have one. still a complete drive though. not that it's in use or anything. kinda heavy though....
i like the idea on the aspirin bottle or the likes. a little glue and a board and i could be in business. nice tip on the condensation too. i'd not thought of that, thanks. since i don't have any black plastic trash bags and i do have a board, a bottle of some kind, and some glue.... looks like i'll have to get to it... will only have to buy the paint.... could i use lime green paint?



i'll use black....

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

Ziggy, on a Bravo, the shift cable that sicks out is just that, a small (1/8" diameter?) cable with a 1/2" diameter round knob on the end. I just cut a hole in my cardboard for it to stick through. It's also stainless steel (or appears to be) so it can stick out exposed with no problem. So it's just different than an Alpha or pre Alpha.
The only reason I wouldn't use a plastic bag is for the condensation that Don mentions, and the possibility of it ripping. But if you have used one in the past with no issues, then you are probably fine.

 

[chick92064]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

My attitude on the trash bags is that if they work then that's all that matters. One other suggestion might be a canvas duffel bag like they give the sailors in the USN use.
Nice looking boat cover Ziggy. Do you use it for mooring and trailering as well or just storage ? Who is the Mfgr.

 

[ziggy]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

My attitude on the trash bags is that if they work then that's all that matters.

yep, that is really all that matters to me too. and the trash bag has worked too. i do have another motive though. i've not had a rodent problem, but having just the bag on it. i bet a mouse could find it's way in. if he does, he can snack on some decon if he wants.... anyways, it'd be nice to have it sealed if i can figure a way cheaply. i'm working up something along dons' idea. think i'm up to the asprin bottle and glue part. if it works, i'll post up the pic.... time will tell.

thanks for the compliment on the cover. it's just a overtons aftermarket cover. titan maybe. can't remember. was the top of the line cover they had. came extra wide which i needed to go around my hardtop. i only use it for storage. i'm a trailer boater so don't moor it unless i'm onboard. guess i've towed at 35mph once or twice going around town. but don't generally tow with it on.

 

[chick92064]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

yep, that is really all that matters to me too. and the trash bag has worked too. i do have another motive though. i've not had a rodent problem, but having just the bag on it. i bet a mouse could find it's way in. if he does, he can snack on some decon if he wants.... anyways, it'd be nice to have it sealed if i can figure a way cheaply. i'm working up something along dons' idea. think i'm up to the asprin bottle and glue part. if it works, i'll post up the pic.... time will tell.

thanks for the compliment on the cover. it's just a overtons aftermarket cover. titan maybe. can't remember. was the top of the line cover they had. came extra wide which i needed to go around my hardtop. i only use it for storage. i'm a trailer boater so don't moor it unless i'm onboard. guess i've towed at 35mph once or twice going around town. but don't generally tow with it on.

They advertise Westland on the I-Boats site and they seem like nice covers. I need something I can moor the boat out with that will hold up to the sun (UV) and also will work when the boat is on the trailer off season. Anyone have any comments on the Westland covers ?

Thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

That has absolutely nothing to do with the original posters question. That would be a question to ask IN A NEW THREAD, over in the Boat Topics and Questions (Not Engines) forum. Best not to hi-jack someone elses thread with your own question.

 

[chick92064]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

That has absolutely nothing to do with the original posters question. That would be a question to ask IN A NEW THREAD, over in the Boat Topics and Questions (Not Engines) forum. Best not to hi-jack someone elses thread with your own question.

The original poster was talking about covering his outdrive. He and I exchanged some comments on that subject and then I mentioned that the boat cover he had seemed like a nice cover. He had posted a picture of the whole boat, not just the I/O. He responded to my comments so I thought it okay to ask the question I did about the cover. I have stated a couple times that I'm new here. I wasn't aware that subjects are not allowed to morph a bit into related issues. I'm new around here. I'll learn. I don't need to be keelhauled for every misstep.

 

[ziggy]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

well, this is how it turned out...

the old gasket + 1/8'' plexiglass, (a little thinner than i'd a liked, but nice smooth surface) coke bottle green i might add to match the windows....

a vitamin c bottle glued (marintex, flexset i had on hand) to the plexiglass.

some hose for spacers + the drive nuts and washers to hold it in place.

only thing i can think of now is, there's no where for any condensation to escape at short of where the drive shaft goes thru the boat.... guess i'll be able to see condensation if it occurs. tackle that if, when, the need arises.

thanks for the idea to make one.

worse comes to worse, i'll get a piece of plywood and redo it... but i just had to have green....

any ramifications for storing it in rev.? made the shift slide shorter.....

 

[sickwilly]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

That looks great, but in a set up like that how will any moisture drain out?

Mine is currently set up with a trash bag (white) attached with painters tape. I have part of hit hanging down a good inch below the rest of it with the speedo connector in it. I have already had to add two pinholes to it on the bottom and one at the top so that moisture can drain out. I would fear that your set up will eventually have standing water in the bottom of it. However, maybe mine just just has moisture in it because of using a trash bag.

 

[ziggy]

Re: winter storing w/o drive ?

Mine is currently set up with a trash bag (white) attached with painters tape. I have part of hit hanging down a good inch below the rest of it with the speedo connector in it. I have already had to add two pinholes to it on the bottom and one at the top so that moisture can drain out.

as ya can see, my original cover was just as yours, the white trash bag. only thing i've drained out of mine was antifreeze. don't know why the anti freeze comes out, but it does. just went and looked at mine and i've actually got a seal at the water passage seal. antifreeze is starting to build up and i can see it.
here in ne. we've already had a few mornings of high moisture content. windows on my van all fogged over. nothing in the drive that i can see.
it is open to the inside of the boat. where the drive shaft passes through. so maybe i'll get lucky and not have condensation build up. but, if i do. i will be able to see it and do something about it, if it occurs....

so far, only condensation is in the water passage....