Alpha One Drain Help

[z284u2try]

I have a 98 bayliner with a 4.3/alpha 1 lower unit. I went to change the lower unit oil yesterday and I can't find a vent plug. I see a drain but no vent. The lower unit does have a res. located in the engine area. Does this lower unit not have a vent? Would I just fill though the res and wait till it starts to drain out of the drain hole?

 

[Rock Hall]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

If you are facing the back of the boat it is on the left side. It's up high. maybe 2-3 inches from the top of the drive.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

See page 1B-9 in the manual below.

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14b1.pdf

 

[ziggy]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

this might help too....

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14cover.pdf

 

[z284u2try]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

Alright going to go back out in a few and take a look again.

Thank you for the fast responses

 

[z284u2try]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

How I missed that I will never know.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

Would I just fill though the res and wait till it starts to drain out of the drain hole?

Nope,.... The oil is pumped in from the Bottom,... The Drain....

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

on a 98 you may have the external line running from the vent to the resevoir, be very careful with that fitting, it breaks easily and is a pain to find in the parts book. if its a GENII unit the passage is internal. I think 95 was the brak for the alpha units but I see quite a few newer boats running older drive packages.
I usually remove the resevoir cap and the drain plug and drain it, then leave the cap off and fill from the drain until the resevoir is back to the full line.
I try not to mess with that brass fitting if I dont have to.
if you fail to remove the resevoir cap it wont drain properly and will make a funny "pop" sound when you try to refill it.
dont ask how I know
after about 30 years of this stuff I can tell you there are very few mistakes you can make that some of us havent done or witnessed.

 

[rad1026]

Re: Alpha One Drain Help

Yep, the first time I filled a Gen II with the reservoir I failed to remove the cap from the res. Kept pumping and pumping in oil and nothing happened. All I was doing was creating pressure in the outdrive. Removed the oil pump to see what was going on and, you guessed it. Oil shot everywhere. Geeze, how stupid I felt as I got gear oil all over a brand new bathing suit, all over my friends boat and all over his 17 year old daughter's extremely voluptuous, well you get the picture. What a mess. Learning from other's mistakes is called Common Sense, right?