Re: Dropped the boat on ramp, broke lower outdrive
1999 alpha 1 5.0L 220hp
the boat slipped off the trailer too fast and hit some concrete in the ramp, and then water. idled for 10 minutes and noticed some oil or fuel floating intermittently. pulled the boat out of water and noticed large hole on the lower drive and gear oil was emptied within 15 minutes.
i have ordered the lower drive. Is the upper drive at risk at all coz of possible salt water getting in there?
After looking at the pic- that is a HUGE hole. Your uppers are rusting at this very moment. What I would do is try to get a patch on that hole, using something like foil / metal duct tape, well sealed around the edges. Then fill up the unit with the cheapest marine gear oil, and run it in the driveway on muffs for about 10 minutes. Make sure to get it into forward and reverse gear to circulate the oil. Then drain it, and I would suggest repeating the process again. This should flush out the water and coat all the parts inside and stop the damage, and preserve your upper unit.
Once you get the new(er) lower on, after the first day out on the water, drain the oil again and carefully check it for water contamination. In all the changes above, make sure to use marine gear oil as it will keep a fair bit of water in suspension, allowing it to be removed when the oil is drained. Tolerating some water contamination is one of the biggest differences in marine gear oil vs. auto gear oil. I realize the temptation would be to use cheap motor oil and save a few dollars, cause heck its only running at idle speed on the muffs: but that will not emulsify the water, so use marine gear oil.
Let us know how things turn out.
