Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Freeze crack in cavity where shifter cable runs through. How does water typically get in there? How can it be prevented in the future?

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Use a new gasket when the drive is removed, and replace the shift shaft seals in the bellhousing.

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

OK, but does that mean I need to drop the stern drive every fall?

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Never mind, just read the How to winterize thread. My bad.

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Read the manual over again and it says nothing about dropping the drive unit every fall.

I've been quoted $1800-$2000 to replace the bell housing, bearing, seals and bellows kit. Is this about right? Does insurance usually cover it?

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Read the manual over again and it says nothing about dropping the drive unit every fall.

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The manual gives you minimum requirements. it does say to check alignment and grease the coupler splines, and trust me, you have to pull the drive to check the alignment, and grease the splines on an Alpha I.
Just think, had you pulled the drive during winterization, you wouldn't have a problem now.
What manual are you looking at? If it's the OEM manual, look on pages 1B-1,2, and 3.

Does insurance usually cover it?

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Ask your insurance agent, we don't know what you have.

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

robtr8 said:

...replace the bell housing, bearing, seals and bellows kit... Does insurance usually cover it?

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Most likely NOT covered. Even "yacht policies" exclude mechanical wear and tear and "freezing damage." Read your policy to see if it has exclusions like that. (It most likely does.)

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Right you are, Exclusions paragraph A:

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

robtr8 said:

Right you are, Exclusions paragraph A:

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Unfortunately for you I knew I was right!

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Found another shop. $1,300 including bell housing, bellows kit, gimball bearing and shift cable.

Re: Cracked Alpha One bell housing.

Read how to do this work yourself. Then hire a mobile marine mechanic to come do it, but stay with him and have him teach you all the little time saving tricks. You will also see all the little special tooling you will need to purchase. You will find the parts arent all that expensive. When you have questions or run into a stopping point, turn to this forum. Then when something else happens you can fix it yourself! Im used to working on cars, I researched this forum for a while to learn how to change out all of my bellows. I took everything apart by myself then hired the marine mechanic to come help me put it back together. His knowledge was invaluable, little tips on how to position the hose clamps, little tools he had,etc. Im no expert, but I love my boat and I use it every chance I get, and I will always own a boat and I can't afford to B.ust O.ut A.nother T.housand everytime something goes wrong!