Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

[PitchFork]

My boat's outdrive Alpha 1 Gen 1 has no stickers at all on it and has an open hole on the starboard side of the upper housing. I have found out I need two parts to seal it up. I have the parts numbers I was just wondering what is the purpose of the area behind this hole? Water passage from impeller to engine or what it does or why it is there?

I am running to the local parts shop now to get 22-42861-1 Pipe Plug and 19-42682 Welch Plug to seal it up.

Just another case of JustJason's "just because you found it that way... doesn't mean it's supposed to be that way."

Just curious

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

I had a similar situation when I bought my present boat. The mechanic in the marina who serivised that boat before said - it is fine like that, and showed me a couple of other boats just devinterized and ready to go in the water, with those welch plugs missing.
I asked - how about that little shift shaft seal? Isn't that the reason why those welch plugs are missing? He didn't say anything.
By the way, there is a chance of water getting into the drive bellows thru that shift shaft cavity.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

That cavity needs to be sealed, It keeps water out of the shift shift slide and shift cable. Deeper into the cavity is a pipe plug that closes off the water passage. The core plug just closes off the shift slide cavity.

I asked - how about that little shift shaft seal? Isn't that the reason why those welch plugs are missing?

The shift shaft seal does not cause the core plug to come out. Time and corrosion does cause them to come out.

By the way, there is a chance of water getting into the drive bellows thru that shift shaft cavity.

Sorry, but that can't happen either. That is why there is that large (around 4" diameter) quad ring. That is what keeps water out of the bellows.

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

Well, if that cavity gets filled with the water thru the shift shaft seal, and stays there until first frost bites - you have you welch plug popped out, if you are lucky.

Second - if that big square o-ring is damaged, or installed improperly, or deffective all due to lack of maintenance (otherwise shift shaft seal would be replaced in the first place), as a result you have water in the bellows.

That is what has happened to that boat later. I kept that boat in the water for the rest season with no welch plug. Found water in the bellows when pulled outdrive in the fall, bellows were not damaged.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

And IF all the stars line up right, the earth will explode.
If that shift haft seal leaks bad enough for water to get in, the water will also leak back out.

That shift shaft seal used to just slide up against the bushing, and even brand new allowed some water in that area. It was designed more to keep the exhaust out of that passage, not the water.

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

The boat has entire season for the cavity to be filled up with water, and sometimes a few weeks or days to drain out before it goes below freezing.
Nothing to do with stars.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

Whatever you say..........

 

[PitchFork]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

WOW! I just got home and probed around that passage way found the back of the shift fork. Going back a little last year, I actually purchased an aftermarket sticker package off eBay for the drive and placed a galvanized washer to fit in the welch plug hole and covered it up with the sticker. I guess that has worn out and when I had my outdrive off Friday I noticed the sticker was loose. This may be why I had a little water in the and around where the shift cable comes through the bell housing. The U-jopints and gimble did not have any rust and where in great shape.

Parts are on order and I will not be using the boat again before I get them installed.

 

[PitchFork]

Re: Alpha 1 Gen 1 Welch Plug

I have a couple concerns about this Welch Plug. I have not gotten the plug yet from the shop but does this plug completely seal up this hole to keep water out? Do I need to use any sealant when installing the plug or does it just push / snap in and that will keep the water out?

Also having this hole open doesn't it allow water into the shift fork cavity that leads to where the shift cable comes through the bell housing, u-joint cavity, gimble bearing, and other places it should not be?