Alpha1 Gen1 Does Not Engage FWD or REV

vegaschef364

Cadet
Joined
Jun 24, 2022
Messages
24
The guy before you didn't do any maintenance either. Sucks throwing in the towel in June, swapping in a new drive is easy if you can find one. Once the gears grenaded that thickened up the oil. Didn't have time to fully circulate. Conventional wisdom is that your lower is now contaminated and needs rebuilt. Dunno if that's the case if there aren't shavings in the lower. The only passage for oil between the 2 halves is about 5mm, and no active circulation. Almost certainly the oil level was low and the upper gears were dry. No need to remove the cover, just need to change the oil and check the level occasionally. You can transport the drive however you want. Make sure you read up on how to winterize unless you want to be replacing the whole engine next spring.
Good to know, thank you. I did notice there doesn't seem like there's much space there so makes sense that I didn't see anything when I drained it. I only get 3-4 weeks with the boat a year, I live about 1200 miles from where it sits, and halfway through those weeks already. We have a waverunner that can pull the kids on the tube so I'd rather spend what little time I have left enjoying the lake as opposed to having my head stuck in an engine compartment like I have the first couple weeks. And I definitely don't want to rush things and make it worse, or spend way more money than necessary. This way I'll have 11 months to learn as much as I can about the drive and get it setup just right for next year. And will come out a week early before the kids next year to get everything set up. For the winterizing I pull the 4 plugs, drain the water coolant hoses and spray some fogging oil in the carb, then hook up a battery tender. Anything else?
 

nola mike

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
5,366
Good to know, thank you. I did notice there doesn't seem like there's much space there so makes sense that I didn't see anything when I drained it. I only get 3-4 weeks with the boat a year, I live about 1200 miles from where it sits, and halfway through those weeks already. We have a waverunner that can pull the kids on the tube so I'd rather spend what little time I have left enjoying the lake as opposed to having my head stuck in an engine compartment like I have the first couple weeks. And I definitely don't want to rush things and make it worse, or spend way more money than necessary. This way I'll have 11 months to learn as much as I can about the drive and get it setup just right for next year. And will come out a week early before the kids next year to get everything set up. For the winterizing I pull the 4 plugs, drain the water coolant hoses and spray some fogging oil in the carb, then hook up a battery tender. Anything else?
Probe the drains with some wire or something; scale can keep the engine from draining.
 
Top