alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

[Rellik546]

hey guys i have a 88 alpha 1 gen 1. my bell housing is starting to corrode (fresh water). i was looking at all the anodes in the kit and realized my boat doesnt have the 2 bolt covers for the bottom 2 bolts on the mount. not only do they not have the anodes, the bolts appear to be wrong. they look like standard carriage bolts. I bought the correct bolts, but my dealer said that for a couple years they didnt use the double sided bolt design where a nut is threaded on the inside of the boat, and then the anode is threaded on the outside of the transom. I tried to google search and search these forums as well as my mercruiser service manual and couldnt find anything.

the only 2 options i found were the non mercathode anode covers and the plastic mercathode covers....nothing about a standard round ended carriage bolt.

is my dealer right? would i cause any damage by changing out those carriage bolts with the aluminum anode bolts and anode covers?

 

[Rellik546]

Re: alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

any ideas guys? i dont want to create a problem by putting them on. is there any harm by installing these? im feeling more confident that the ones that are currently in there arnt suppose to be there.

 

[Don S]

Re: alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

Here is what you should have PN 55989A8

SS bolt on your aluminum transom shield will cause problems with corrosion.

 

[Rellik546]

Re: alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

thanks don, i picked that kit up. i am installing it today. Im not really sure why there are regular stainless steel carriage bolts in there. ill post pictures of them. are you aware of any different designs that mercruiser used other than your posted picture, or the mercathode system? my dealer seems to think for a couple years in the late 80s there was another design.

i wished when people did stuff, that they would do it right the first time sigh

 

[Rellik546]

Re: alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

well i was able to remove both of the bolts and install the new ones without removing the motor. the side the starter is attached was easily accessible and i was able to use a deep socket to remove it. the other side was a bit harder as the exhaust was too close to the bolt to use a socket or close end of a wrench. i was able to get the open end of the wrench around the nut and had about 60 degrees took about 15 min each to loosen the old nut off the old bolt and tighten the nut on the new bolt.

beats having to take the motor out, but it was a pretty uncomfortable position to even be able to do it.

 

[achris]

Re: alpha 1 transom anode bolt question

Just be thankful it wasn't a V engine.... :facepalm:

 

[lukecono]

Hey guys so do those bolts run through the transom?