Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

[Allmand]

ok,
I will try and keep this short. Last week we were in Galveston Bay. Lost power at about 10pm. Wind was @ 20 knots so drifted into an oyster bed pretty quick. Got it running, thought I was in deep enough water but instead, I was between two large beds. I ran aground on one of the beds. The outdrive took a good hit. Took CHUNKS out of the aluminum prop. Got her back home though.

This memorial Saturday. Dropped her in early...noticed she was taking in a little more water than usual into the engine compartment. Nothing the bilge couldn?t handle. Lost power again (wiring issue that was fixed while on water) washed up on rocks due to high winds. Get her running briefly but for some reason was in gear and was kicking up mud and small rocks. Shut her down immediately. Slight damage to prop. Got out and pulled the boat to deeper water. Got her running (bad post on solenoid) Stayed out all day, started to come in around 10pm. Throughout the day we did notice that she was slowly taking on water at a faster rate. Still not more than the bilge could handle. As we were coming in to dock she was shifting fine, shift interrupter seemed to be a little sticky but would work. I through it in to reverse and heard a pow and lost all thrust. Engine still running but no forward/reverse, nothing. Wind blew us into a guys pier. We docked. I check the engine compartment, water was POURING in. within twenty minutes there was about 6 inches on the cabin floor.

We had to get her out of the water or she would be under by morning. Got some one on shore and through the rope and pulled her around to the dock. Walking through chest deep water on barnacle covered rocks in the dark was great fun!

Finally got her tailored. As it was coming out of the water I saw the horror. The out drive looked as if it was about to fall off. And it was close. Here is what I think happened. Please understand that I am new to boating and this is my first boat.

I think I may have cracked the bell housing last weekend when I hit the oyster bed, which would be why it was taking on more water than normal memorial weekend. Hit again memorial weekend, noticed water coming in slightly faster. It was the first time out that we had the shift interrupter working. So I was shifting more and harder. I think I cracked the housing or something which was the cause of the boat taking on water and when I through into reverse that last time the bell housing shifted, the drive shaft got in to a bind and forced itself out of the engine. Breaking the bell housing and who knows what else.

I am wondering, by looking at the pics do you think the drive may be savable? Maybe just a new bell housing, bellows, shaft, gaskets, U-joints, etc.? or is it most likely to have damage on the inside of the drive? What would your first action be? What should I check first to see if the drive is ok? What would you do? PLEASE CHECK OUT THE PICS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THING!

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Thanks!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Ayuh,... Pull the drive, then the motor, 'n finally the transom assembly...

Then you can figure out what might be salvageable, 'n what's Junk...

 

[winnipegjohnston]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Wow man, that doesn't look good. I'm a first time boat owner this yr also. My first time out I bent the sheit out of my skeg and nearly had a heart attack...I cant imagine how you're feeling. All I have to say is dont beat yourself up too much about it, sh!t happens and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it...even if you were an experienced boat operator. I wish you good luck in your repair and I hope you are back on the water shortly. All the best.

 

[Don S]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Call your insurance company, NOW.

 

[eldplanko]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Looks like the only thing holding the outdrive on is the trim cylinders. At a minimum you're looking at:

bell housing
u-joints,
gimble bearing,
u-joint bellows,
+more

probably need:
coupler
gimbal ring
yolks
gimbal housing
outdrive?

You're probably better off (cheaper) replacing everything rather than trying to buy all the individual parts

 

[Bondo]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

You're probably better off (cheaper) replacing everything rather than trying to buy all the individual parts

Ayuh,... Think Rotten Donor boat....

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

I wasn't going to write this, but I have to.

First, get out your checkbook. But, before spending the money I would find out what other issues you have such as rotted transom and stringers.

Second, any time a boat is letting water in it is sinking. Never be ok with the bilge pump being able to keep up with it.

 

[Monte1961]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

5 years ago on mothers day @ Klamath lake, we had a family get together. Understand, here in Oregon, you have to obtain a boaters card to operate anything over ten hp.(Doesn't mean you know how to operate boat!) So after taking turns with family going out on the boat, a friend of the family asked me if he could take his wife and daughter out? I said, you have a boaters card? He showed me and I said sure!(Bad,Bad,Bad)!!!!!!! Well we watched the couple and daughter head out in to open water with no problem. About thirty minutes later here they come and all looks good. He walks up and hands me the keys and says thanks! The daughter was soak and wet!(Should have been a clue). Well needless to say another family friend asked if he could do the same? Has boaters card and is good to go, so I thought! Watching for him to get out in to open water for about 20 minutes, here he comes up to the pick nick area with keys in hand and says boat won't start! WHAT It always starts! 16' 1986 Seasweril 302 Ford with short shaft OMC. I have always kept boat in tip top shape! Well I walk down to boat slip to see why boat isn't starting. Put key in ignition and boom!, engine starts right up but doesn't sound right. I look over the transom and notice exhaust bubbles coming from all over the place!WTF!!!!! So I put her in reverse she backs up. Goes in to forward no problem(so I think)! Boat won't steer left or right! Dammit, whats wrong? Well I go to get Ram charger and trailer to load boat. As I get out of the ram to winch up the boat, A guy at the dock asks me if that's my boat? I replied yes. He then proceeds to ask a few more questions. He then ask me if I wanted to know the truth about what really happened,? of course I wanna know what really happened.! The first family friend was coming in to fast and panicked, trying not beach it, he ran it over some rocks so hard it threw the daughter out of the boat in to the drink and tore the out-drive almost completely off the boat. The repairs were relatively cheap, but more time consuming when it came to getting parts. With all the damage, I was only out about $150.00.(Lucky On that one). I made the friend chase all the parts and hold outdrive up (while taking my time getting it hung right making him sweat a little). Were still friends, but he will no longer be behind a wheel of mine of any kind! Not even my daughters electric Barbi car! So a few words to people who loan out there boats! Don't Do It!!!!! Well unless you have more money than God!!!!!!!!!! P.S. Just because you retain a U.S.C.G. Boaters card in the state of Oregon, doesn't mean you know how to operate a boat!

 

[fossill]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Thats major carnage. Prob cheapest to buy a new boat as Id bet that one is B.E.R. (beyond economic repair)
You may also want to invest in an anchor.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Either this happened several weeks ago or you haven't serviced that drive in a LONG time....Have you ever removed the drive to look at the gimbal bearing or bellows? That's a LOT of corrosion for "just" happening.....

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Either this happened several weeks ago or you haven't serviced that drive in a LONG time....Have you ever removed the drive to look at the gimbal bearing or bellows? That's a LOT of corrosion for "just" happening.....

ditto

 

[RIDEPATE]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Either this happened several weeks ago or you haven't serviced that drive in a LONG time....Have you ever removed the drive to look at the gimbal bearing or bellows? That's a LOT of corrosion for "just" happening.....

Ditto x2, that things been on there for a longgggg time. That gimbal-bearing had to be screaming for mercy.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

You will need a donor boat, or just luck that someone is parting a boat.

Most importantly, what engine is in it? If 470 start over with another boat.

If you do get this fixed, correct all your drivability issues, wiring, and faulty parts before taking the boat out of the marina area. Sounds like WAY too many maint issues you are dealing with on the water.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

the obvious maintenence issues aside, don't be too discouraged if you're wanting to fix it. As long as things aren't rotten when you get it apart, if you're handy finding a mostly complete donor boat would probably be the ticket. In this economy, there are a lot of boats people are trying to sell cheap because they don't want to spend any money to fix them. I'm going to look at another project this week probably... and know of at least two boats with complete drive and engines (that probably need engine work), I could get for 500 or less... Good luck with it whatever you decide to do!

 

[mkast]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

noticed she was taking in a little more water than usual into the engine compartment.

Nothing the bilge couldn?t handle.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THING

Do you really think the bilge pump is there so you don't have to find hull leakage?
Why did you take that boat out?
Do you really want me to tell you what I ... THING...?

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Looks to me like the bell housing just broke at the hinge pins. I'm surprised the wasn't any extensive cosmetic damage to the drive. Have someone inspect the drive, it may be all right. Obviously you do need to replace all those other parts you mentioned. By the looks of the u-joints that bellows has been leaking a long time. Inspect the gimbal ring closely for any cracks. It appears to have been neglected as far as scheduled maintenance for a long time. Check out the entire boat and decide if it's worth it. There's a guy on ebay that sells all that stuff. http://stores.ebay.com/Mikes-Alphas?_trksid=p4340.l2563

 

[Allmand]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Call your insurance company, NOW.

yeah, they dont ensure boats from the 60's for things like this.

 

[Allmand]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

I did leave out some info: its a 1968 John Allmand 23ft cabin cruiser with a GM 250 L6 and a pre-alpha 160 outdrive.

Thanks everyone for all the replies, this at least gets me going. But I think some replies are a little drastic. Why pull the whole motor, inside transom assembly, etc? I understand it looks highly neglected and I had plans to pull the drive and replace the u-joints, bellows, gaskets, and gimbal bearing but this happened before I could. I have only had this boat for barely a year and have taken it out 6 times. I could hear the gimbal bearing growl, that why I was planning on taking it off and replacing. But unfortunetly, I thought I could get away with one more trip. I learned my lesson. And I do have an anchor, just inexperienced anchormen in the front. Couldn?t get the anchor down in time. We are all new to boating so when something like this happens everyone is freaking out and forgets what to do.
Anyway, I don't think there is a need to pull the motor. The transom is 3/4 inch solid fiberglass. Not a soft spot on the transom nor the rest of the boat. its all fiber glass, not one piece of wood inside or outside this boat except for trim. So the transom is not rotten. Not one of the splines on the shaft are scratched, bent, or anything. Even the existing corrosion was not even scratched off. If you see it in person, it looks like it simply fell out of the coupler. There is no sign of twisting or binding. Like I said, I think I cracked the bell housing and/or gimbal housing which is the main the holding the drive shaft in place and pushed in to the coupler correct???? Yes, its obvious that it has been neglected in the past. The gimbal bearing looks like it has become one with the rest of the boat.
Just as a scenario:
What if the housings were just cracked badly and the all day shifting forward and reverse just kept cracking it more and it finally broke off and allowed the shaft to fall out of place? Couldn?t this be a possibility? Can I open up the top of the drive and physically see the gears and check for destruction? I mean, don't want to go pull the whole damn motor and drive just find out I only needed to replace the gimbal/bell housing and of course the ujoints, bellows, gimbal bearing, shift cable, etc. Isnt it possible that bell housing hinge pins and the rusted condition of the gimbal and shaft area just allowed the shaft to fall out when the housing completely separated from the transom? Again not one spline on the drive shaft shows any sign of damage or even a scratch?.looking in the gimbal bearing with a flash light all the splines in there look completely fine as well. The inside transom plate looks fine as well.

Thanks for all the replies. The only reason I got this boat running and into the water was because of the iboats forum. So thanks and please help me out with this one!

 

[45Auto]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Looks like you can replace the bell housing and all the other necessary maintenance stuff and be good to go.

Interesting how it broke. I've had two hard strikes with my Bravo 3, and both times the gimbal ring broke.

 

[Allmand]

Re: Nearly blew off entire outdrive!!! Major damage! Where should i start!

Looks like you can replace the bell housing and all the other necessary maintenance stuff and be good to go.

Interesting how it broke. I've had two hard strikes with my Bravo 3, and both times the gimbal ring broke.

Thats what I am thinking. It is weird how it broke. Very strange to everyone who looks at it. The boat is 40 years old...maybe the metal was just weak. I have had the boat less than a year, so who know what has happened to her the other 39 years. Could be a product of many hits. I don't know. But I think I will replace the maintenance stuff and the bell housing and she how she works. At least some of its done. I have heard it can be a real pain in the arse to get the outdrive and drive shaft off the boat. Ha!

Anymore idead are still welcomed!