Slipping outdrive

[Rudamus]

My outdrive just started slipping. I changed my prop to a higher pitch and it started slipping went back to old prop and it's still slipping. Cable is adjusted correctly. Is the drive toast or is there something I can do to adjust it?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Define slipping as you see it.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Well, "slipping" like high rpm and slow movement can be the coupler slipping or the upper gears melted from lack of oil.

 

[juicebronco]

I don't know if the upper gears can slip, I think they just go. That's what mine did anyway. Once those teeth are gone, there is nothing left to grab on to. does it make any noise like it's not fully engaging into gear?

 

[Rudamus]

Just before I get on plane. Motor rev 's up but boat doesn't go.

 

[harleyman1975]

When it does that open the dog house and look for white smoke and sniff for burnt rubber. That would be a bad coupler. did you use a new hub in the prop or are you using the same one? could be a spun hub (plastic sleeve that goes inside the prop.

 

[stonyloam]

Drives don't "slip". Prop hubs can and so can couplers. Other stuff breaks. If the rubber in the coupler fails you will smell it, if the metal splines fail you may not.

 

[achris]

If you swapped props and it's still happening, pull the drive off and examine the yoke splines and coupler, closely.

Chris.....

 

[Rudamus]

No smell of burnt rubber from coupler. Prop hub is new and I looked at it it had not spun. If the gears broke or something like I would hear that. The smell if caught whiff off was maybe gear oil. This once before 2 years ago changed engine coupler and still did it. Then all of sudden it just stopped till I put on a new prop from 15.5x17 to a 14.5 x21. Then it started again so I stopped the boat changed back to old prop while in the water and it still did it. So you are saying there are no clutches of any kind that could slip. Only gears? I think my boat has gremlins. It's a 25DA searay 1990 rebuilt motor this season approx 375hp 7.4l

 

[wahlejim]

You may not be able to tell if the hub is spun by just looking at it. Mark the prop and hub in the same spot, run it til it slips, and check your marks. If they are out of alignment, replace your hub.

 

[harleyman1975]

So this is a bravo drive I assume with a 375 hp big block...correct?

 

[Scott Danforth]

No smell of burnt rubber from coupler. Prop hub is new and I looked at it it had not spun. If the gears broke or something like I would hear that. The smell if caught whiff off was maybe gear oil. This once before 2 years ago changed engine coupler and still did it. Then all of sudden it just stopped till I put on a new prop from 15.5x17 to a 14.5 x21. Then it started again so I stopped the boat changed back to old prop while in the water and it still did it. So you are saying there are no clutches of any kind that could slip. Only gears? I think my boat has gremlins. It's a 25DA searay 1990 rebuilt motor this season approx 375hp 7.4l

No clutches in the conventional term. However the Bravo drive uses cone clutches which could be worn and if they are slipping, a drive rebuld is in your future. Things that cause the cone clutches to slip is miss-adjustment of the shift cable or incorrect gear lube

Ventilation of the prop could cause the prop to "slip"
However most likely it's a bad coupler or bad hub. Mark a line across the prop, prop hub and nut. Take a run and get it to "slip"

If the line remains intact, it's your coupler or the drive needs attention

 

[Rudamus]

I'm sure it's not prop hub. Engine coupler I can't be 100% sure would have to remove motor to check that. I put in synthetic gear oil in the drive. At the start of the season. If it is cone worn is that hard to fix? BTW I saw a boat named cheese heads in paradise. The other day. In Bricktown nj was that you?

 

[Bt Doctur]

I have changed the cone, you have to disassemble the upper
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/11/11a3r5x.pdf

 

[Rudamus]

Not the coupler marked it took her out slipping like crazy adjusted Cable 100% into forward looks like it can be only one thing. The cone clutch..

 

[thumpar]

I have read where people will take the clutch and turn it upside down to get more life out of it. Since reverse is not used that much that side is usually still good. Seems like a lot of work to do it but they say it works. I would probably do it the right way with a new clutch since you are in there anyway.

 

[achris]

Have we determined if the OP is refering to an Alpha or a Bravo drive?

 

[thumpar]

Have we determined if the OP is refering to an Alpha or a Bravo drive?

Yes. First it is a 7.4l and in another thread he asked about a B1 to B2 swap.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Flipping the cone clutch and gears is not really all that much work and it is quite effective at fixing this issue. As stated, you never use much throttle in reverse so you can use the less effective clutch there and get double the life out of the gear/clutch sets.

 

[Keckster34]

Flipping the cone clutch and gears is not really all that much work and it is quite effective at fixing this issue. As stated, you never use much throttle in reverse so you can use the less effective clutch there and get double the life out of the gear/clutch sets.

My regal with the 7.4L seems to the do the same thing. Is there a video or how-to on flipping the cone clutch gears?