Sticky situation

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
I took my boat (1988 Wellcraft Elite 222, Mercruiser 5.7, Alpha One) out yesterday for the 1st time this season and had to be towed in. Got on plane and after a few minutes started smelling what seemed like plastic burning. Everything sounded fine but the smell got stronger so I shifted into neutral and as soon as the boat came to a rest I thick billow of white smoke came from the engine compartment. I figured that couldn't be good so I opened the hatch and the engine seemed fine. I turned the boat back on and this sound the likes of which I have never heard before was coming from the outdrive. Needless to say I turned the boat back off and sat there dead in the water. I finally got a hold of sea tow to come and tow me in.

This morning I took the outdrive off and found water in the bellows (no surprise there) and ball bearings everywhere. I suspect the gimbal bearing gave out on me. What other damage should I be looking for at this point?
 

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billy4hp

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
245
Re: Sticky situation

I took my boat (1988 Wellcraft Elite 222, Mercruiser 5.7, Alpha One) out yesterday for the 1st time this season and had to be towed in. Got on plane and after a few minutes started smelling what seemed like plastic burning. Everything sounded fine but the smell got stronger so I shifted into neutral and as soon as the boat came to a rest I thick billow of white smoke came from the engine compartment. I figured that couldn't be good so I opened the hatch and the engine seemed fine. I turned the boat back on and this sound the likes of which I have never heard before was coming from the outdrive. Needless to say I turned the boat back off and sat there dead in the water. I finally got a hold of sea tow to come and tow me in.

This morning I took the outdrive off and found water in the bellows (no surprise there) and ball bearings everywhere. I suspect the gimbal bearing gave out on me. What other damage should I be looking for at this point?

Make sure that when you replace the gimbal bearing that the outer race didn't spin in the housing. If you had water in the u-joint bellow I would replace the u-joints....

JMHO..
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: Sticky situation

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Donno what happened, but this is the result of my post,+ I Ain't peckin' it all out again....

To the OP,...
All the money you saved by Not doing Maintance is now Due...
You need a qualified Tech to access the extent of the Damages....
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Sticky situation

How many years did you listen to that growling noise in the back of the engine getting louder and louder.
Better have the coupler looked at to, as it's probably garbage as well since it hasn't been greased and the shaft of the drive was just flopping around in it.
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Sticky situation

D,




That is basically a new installation (last year or so) if I remember correctly....Pulled a 460 King Cobra and replaced it with a 5.7L/Alpha combo.......


Didn't you replace the gimbal bearing(transom service kit etc) when you installed everything?


If the bearing "spun" in the housing, I'll bet it caused enough damage to need replacement with another housing...... I wonder if the alignment somehow went "out"?
 

Bart Sr.

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
1,603
Re: Sticky situation

When did that huge crack in the third picture happen???
 

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
Re: Sticky situation

That is basically a new installation (last year or so) if I remember correctly....Pulled a 460 King Cobra and replaced it with a 5.7L/Alpha combo.......

Rick that is correct. Why everyone would assume that this is the result of years of neglect is beyond me.


Didn't you replace the gimbal bearing(transom service kit etc) when you installed everything?

Yep, new gimbal bearing, bellows, shift cable, everything.


If the bearing "spun" in the housing, I'll bet it caused enough damage to need replacement with another housing...... I wonder if the alignment somehow went "out"?

How would I determine if it has spun in the housing? Next weekend I will dig deeper into this mess but if I have to remove the engine again and the entire transom assembly then I will just part out the boat and call it a wrap.

I used the boat 4 times last year for maybe a total of 12 hours if that. There was no growling noises. I ran the engine on muffs last week 3 times preparing it for this fishing trip and there was no signs or noises indicating a problem. When I put the boat in the water and first moved from the dock through the no wake zone out into the bay there still was no noises or any thing to make me think that there was a problem. The bearing and the shaft was greased the last time the drive was off last spring as well as when the transom assembly was installed on the boat year before last.

I don't know what large crack you are referring too. I have looked at the picture and the actual drive and there is no cracks.
 

Bart Sr.

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
1,603
Re: Sticky situation

I took a closer look through a different bifocal and see i am wrong.:redface:

So So Sorry.I am an idiot.;)
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Sticky situation

How would I determine if it has spun in the housing? Next weekend I will dig deeper into this mess but if I have to remove the engine again and the entire transom assembly then I will just part out the boat and call it a wrap.
Now now, don't do that. You did a pretty nice job on it. Maybe the gimbal bearing was just a defective one one and self destructed. Good thing you shut it down when you did.......


I think you'll be able to tell once you get the "old" gimbal bearing out.....and can look the housing over closely.....
 

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
Re: Sticky situation

Hey Rick,

I took a few minutes to try to inspect the damage today. It appears as if the center of the bearing just dissentegrated. Not sure if I am even looking at the remaining part of the bearing or the housing. I have tried to compare the pictures of today with the previous ones when I replaced the last bearing when I installed the assembly on the boat two years ago. I am still trying to figure out this "spun in the housing" thing as well. Any HELP will be appreciated.
 

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Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,093
Re: Sticky situation

sure looks like the inner went south, shouldnt mention it but if the carrier was reversed with the slots facing out ............
Was the new bearing "greaseless"?
 

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
Re: Sticky situation

No it wasn't greaseless. There was grease everywhere. I been removing all of the grease just to be able to get a better look at everything. Next weekend I am off and don't have anything planned so I will remove the housing and the bellows and rent a bearing puller and get that thing out of there. Then I will decide if it is worth fixing or just start selling off parts.
 

fat fanny

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,935
Re: Sticky situation

Wow! after that great job you did last year and your ready to throw in the towl man after this you will almost have new boat and have completed some of the most inforative and educational post's I have read stay positive or have you lost the boating bug?
 

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
Re: Sticky situation

Wow! after that great job you did last year and your ready to throw in the towl man after this you will almost have new boat and have completed some of the most inforative and educational post's I have read stay positive or have you lost the boating bug?

When I started this project I had discretionary money to spend as my income was considerably higher. I am now living off of almost half what I was then and the money just isn't there anymore to spend on this boat.
 

wil7483

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
377
Re: Sticky situation

I figured out what happened but now I have to figure out how to fix it. The center of the bearing is froze to the yoke on the drive. I am spraying it with penetrating oil and hopefully it will release the "kung fu" grip it has on the yoke. I tried unsucessfully for the better part of two hors to get the remaining outter edge of the bearing out of the housing. The teeth on the puller aren't that good so I will return it and see if they have one with teeth in better shape. It's not grabbing it but rather slipping off.

I guess I should've pulled the drive this year before going out. I will remember that from now on. EVERY year before putting the boat in the water pull the drive and check the lubrication, alignment, etc., etc., etc.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
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Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: Sticky situation

The center of the bearing is froze to the yoke on the drive. I am spraying it with penetrating oil and hopefully it will release the "kung fu" grip it has on the yoke. I tried unsucessfully for the better part of two hors to get the remaining outter edge of the bearing out of the housing.

Ayuh,... With Ac/Ox torches, cut 90% of the thickness of the inner race off in 2 places,..
Let cool,+ knock it off with a hammer,+ punch...

The outer race in the housing,..??
Take a Welder,+ run a bead on the inside face, atleast 1/2 to 3/4 the diameter...
After it cools, it'll come out with your finger....
 

jtmarten

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Messages
825
Re: Sticky situation

Might be easier to just replace the u-joint assembly.
 

starsnstripers

Lieutenant
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
1,330
Re: Sticky situation

Wil, did you do a proper alignment last year with the proper alignment tool?even if so maybe check your rear engine mounts when you pull the motor.just a thought.
 

seamorewaterVIP

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
184
Re: Sticky situation

I don't know what large crack you are referring too. I have looked at the picture and the actual drive and there is no cracks.

I think whoever mentioned the crack was seeing the cutaway for the shift linkage???
 
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