Alpha 1 gen 1 issue

[Tomsawyer1968]

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere but it's difficult to find some one that is having the exact same problem. My boat is over powered for the alpha 1. It's. 1986 cobalt with a 454 and a se106 alpha 1 gen 1 replaced by the previous owner about 5 years ago. Over the weekend we had the boat out in the lake and it ran like a champ. No crazy vibrations or anything a miss. After grabbing ice and pulling out of the marina we were throttling up on plane when suddenly we heard a thump and the rpms reved up. The boat will no longer shift into forward. Reverse works fine. The coupler is spinning the drive shaft to the out drive inside of the boat. It's not over heating which tells me the lower shaft is still spinning. I have a feeling it's the forward gears in the upper but hoping it's just a shift cable. What do you guys think?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Forward gear is in the lower,.... Drain the oil, 'n look for metal,....

 

[Tomsawyer1968]

Drained the drive and found a bunch of metal shavings on the lower plug. Oil is not milky but smells abnormally burnt to me. I've never seen the oil look like it's full of glitter either. Gears have to be toast....

 

[Tomsawyer1968]

No Title

 

[Tomsawyer1968]

No Title

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... iboats sells SEI's,.....

 

[Tomsawyer1968]

Looking at a new drive then?

 

[Rick Stephens]

The point is that you can spend a bunch having the known broken drive repaired, or you can pay ~$1250 and replace the outdrive. Replace it, get a 3 year warranty. Work on the old one and you'll get a 30 day or 90 day warranty and probably spend nearly the same.

 

[bheff]

Just pick up a SEI lower.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Just pick up a SEI lower.

That is only doable if the upper did not get contaminated with metal particles. They share the same oil, and usually the same fate.

 

[k03045]

That is only doable if the upper did not get contaminated with metal particles. They share the same oil, and usually the same fate.

100% correct, more than likely you've been stripping the lower for sometime which means you've put unnecessary wear on your upper which will bite you in the ***** later on. It's best & least costly to replace your full outdrive.