alpha1 gen1 transom

Can you replace the transom shield without pulling the engine? I am working on a novaII with dual 350's.

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

i know nothing, but even on the simplest engines, i'd think engine removal would be absolutely necessary. asuming that your talking about the gimble housing + inside shield, the part that the rear engine mounts bolt to...

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

Just the outer portion where the gimball ring is.
It looks like I can support the engine and remove the outer assembly.

I can only get a scraper 3/4 the way around the at the housing to the hull area. The top seems like its binding right around the tiller arm area where the mercruiser sticker is on top.

I think I got all the bolts out . This assembly has two studs and four bolts on each assembly going thru the hull.

Just realy fustrated . I got the shield to move but it won't come off , seems like tension from weight or just stuck on there!

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

Just realy fustrated . I got the shield to move but it won't come off , seems like tension from weight or just stuck on there!

Click to expand...

Ayuh,... The Motors have to come out 1st....

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

Thanx guys I was hoping that I could slip them off the outside by supporting the inside . Well its time for him to breakdown and do it now . Not just avoid the situation huh? lol
Thank you for your support.:redface:

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

8 points not 6, this link may explain the process
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Install/gas/86017211.pdf

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

Thanx Doc, that is a nice link . I have limited acess to the manuals at the marina.
I did look around for the two bolts up top ,but they look to be empty holes on the inner transom plate . I was told some use only 6 ?

I did forget to mention that this boat has thru-hull exhaust under the rub rail in the rear. Makes for a little more work space,still standing on my head to get those bottom bolts though!

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

The inner transom shield is what hold up the back of the engine. The inner transom shield is held onto the transom by the outer transom shield. If you remove the outer transom shield, you basically have nothing holding the engine.

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

I stand corrected that there is 8 bolts instead of 6 . Thanks Doc you were right .

The last 2 were under the tiller arm cut out , the casting rib covers them on the inner transom. Once those were removed the sheild was loose, came right off .


To support the weight and not let the inner plate shift ,I left it bolted to the bellhousing . cut 2x4's at the same angle of the hull and made 2 wedge blocks . they looked like doorstops but bigger. I put them in the foor under my floor jack and placed the boards under the jacks frame to let the wheels hang over for clearance. the boards are to keep the jack level on the angle. There was just enough room under the motor for the small flor jack to reach the corner of the bellhousing solid enough to lift the engine slighly. Then when I removed the lower zinc bolts , I placed a pin the same size from the back inside the inner transom. Also I left the 2 long bolts in the hull but loose from the transom sheild ,just to help the transom stay still.

Now all I have to do is get it back on right ! HAAAA HAAAA!

Hopefully they will fallback on with cables , hoses and harnesses going to there right spots thru the hull. Like an octopuss eating a shellfish from outside a jar , feeling their ways to were they are supposed to be. Hahaa

I will find out tommorow. Thank you for the advice guys I will keep you posted .

My friend made a movie of it with his droid phone but cant post it just yet.

I would like to say this site is great ! If somebody knew nothing about boating they could learn alot right here.

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

I got back to the transom shield assemblies today. Had to wait for my friend to make some new exhaust block-offs.
The old ones were dunn.


I did a test in patience today setting the new sheild back on the boat fully assembled, by my self! Back and forth 4 times in ten minutes in the boat on the ladder making adjustments on both jacks I had going was fuun.

The outside jack I used was a bottle jack with a 4x4 ,that was long enough to put pressure on the zinc block at the hydraulic hose junction.

The sheild is about 80lbs assembled . Getting the sheild up and hanging it wasnt hard . Aligning the gimble snout into the inner transom sheild was the chore.

The sheild has the lower bolts that go from outside to inside, with the square holes . I aligned the bolts squared edge to the square cut out through the sheild . Once they were close the gimble housing was too. I had the alignment tool in the motor ,while doing this and a bungy cord wrapped around the rear rail to the nice factory handle .
That bungy was the only help I had . HAHAHA!

Set up took longer to do than the assembly!


Got all the bolts started and had to stop. This gives me a minute to check the routing of the hoses and cables later.

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

I think using a porto-power jack with the micro jack would be the only way i would do this again. The floor jack i used rubbed the botom of the oil pan and scratched the paint , under fulcrum pressure lifting at the bellhousing. The micro jack i used for the port transom set up easier than the floor jack. Also the floorjack was a little too tall ,wouldnt pass under the oil pan. The micro-jack was no bigger than a pack of playing cards. But it holds the motor steady, 5ton rated.

The paint on the pan looks like expanded foam almost like undercoating.

Anybody know were i can find it?

Re: alpha1 gen1 transom

Finally finished the job both outdrives replaced from fiber glass to prop all new.

Tested in water today and found the fuel pump to be bad on starboard.
First thing my buddy said was "you must have done somthing it was running "

Kinda glad I didnt pull the motors now because I didn't touch that .Haaaa Ha!

All else is good though ,jumped a pump inline to test run. shifts great with the interuptors hooked up . Don't have to manualy turn off engines to shift . Yeah man!

Thanks guys for your replies.