Re: Bayliner with l-drive force alarm
In the early L drive setups, the exhaust manifold was directly cooled. The later models, as US Marine DID provide support and field upgrades to their boats, plugged the direct cooling and instead installed an exhaust manifold that allowed water to be injected from the water jackets around the cylinders into the exhaust effectively cooling it "wetting" the exhaust system. The issue I ran into, is that the orifice that inject the water is very easy to plug up with, say, a piece of broken impeller.
WOT is when the motor will produce the most heat. Time to drop the lower unit, open up the water pump cover, replace the impeller (i do it every season), and back flush the motor by removing the thermostat and running a hose through the thermostat opening. Inspect the thermostat and test by lowering into a pot of boiling water to ensure it opens fully.
Inspect the short exhaust hose that connects the exhaust manifold to the steel elbow. If it is mushy, it may have suffered damage from and overheated exhaust. Replacement hose can be found online at any reputable marine store. Measure the ID as there are two different sizes depending on the year and updates performed.
Inspect the exhaust bellows connecting the drive to the through hull. If it has any mushy spots, it may have been damaged by an overheated exhaust. Replacements are available through Mercury Marine.
I would take the time to rebuild your fuel pump, as the diaphragms may deteriorate over time. Total around $30 for the replacement parts.
Check all of the electrical connections to ensure they are tight, every season.
Most replacement parts are going to be found used. Aftermarket stators, triggers, CDIs and coils are all available for the motor.
Seals and gaskets for the lower unit, spool, and fill/drain/vent screws are all available.
Change your lower unit oil every season. If the fluid is milky, time to replace the lower unit seals and gaskets.
Very maintainable boat, good simple motor to work on, just, whatever you do, don't break the U joint!!!
Feel free to PM me with any questions. I am going on 3 years strong with my 125 HP L drive, and have done plenty of maintenance and repairs along the way......
And, you can add a tell tale, as long as you don't mind losing your temp gauge on the dash........
