More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

[jmattor]

New guy here. After searching the net for answers to questions regarding the Yamaha outdrive on my '93 Ebbtide (w/GM 4 banger)I've found some pretty good advice here. Some funny stuff too, but you know what they say about opinions.<br />Now I'll cut to the chase. What started out as "gettin' the boat ready in time to take the kids out to the river for spring break" has grown into BOAT. Bring Over Another Thousand. Besides the usual clean-up (it was put to bed for the winter nice and clean, flushed, new oil & filter, plugs, a little sta-bil in the tank, batteries out, etc. I knew I needed to check the carb that I should have in October. It was like I expected - carb rebuild because the accelerator pump was gummed up...OK, I can handle that. Starts like a champ...run it through the gears....what's that noise?<br />Turns out to be the Gimbal bearing. Hmmm, what's with the rusty water in there? Bellows looks fine. Cracked gimbal housing!<br />Small crack, but enough to let enough water in to seize the bearing.<br />Question....I really don't want to a)buy a new housing, and b)yank the engine in the process<br />so do I weld the aluminum housing while in place? Or, do I try something like JB Weld?<br />From all that I've read since I registered, this sounds like a question for Capt. Ken. Suggestions?<br />Thanks.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

Well, first question is, just where did it crack? The gimbal bracket or the swivel bracket? Second question is how in the heck did this piece crack? I've never seen anything like this happen. Could water sitting in the boot have frozen and done this? If its the gimbal bracket, I doubt you can get away with welding it in place since the boot has to have a water tight seal. Anywho, I've both parts upstairs if needed.

 

[jmattor]

Re: More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

Thanks for gettin' back to me Capt. It is the gimbal housing that is cracked. Right where the bearing resides, at about the 5 o'clock position running front to back and down to the right (when looking at the transom from the rear) I'll try to make a long story short, but it could have happened when the port side oil hose for the hydraulic trim sprung a leak (unbeknownst to me or anyone onboard) and while I ran up to get the truck to haul-out, the outdrive evidently slowly dropped down....and well you know how crazy things can get on the launch ramp on a busy summer day. The skeg hit the ramp and got drug about 3 feet before my wife started hollering for me to stop. Duh, great feeling! Well damage was very minor, missed the prop. Just a clean-up with a file, or so I thought. My mechanic seems to think it was caused by the seized bearing rotating in the housing.<br />Nevertheless, you hit the nail on the head about it needing to be watertight. So I'm going to see if it will weld, guess I have nothing to lose by trying. Or should I try the JB Weld first?<br />I'd be interested in knowing what you'd ask for the housing you have just in case. Mine has the following part number on the casting if it means anything: 6T401.<br />While I've got your ear ...are any of the Yamaha parts, ie. bellows, shift boot, etc. interchangable with Mercruiser parts? I know from experience that the oil hoses aren't (metric ends). Or does Seirra make after market replacement parts? I can't seem to find any.<br />Thanks again,<br />Jim

 

[jmattor]

Re: More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

Oh, forgot to answer your question. No, no freezing water out at the Colorado river where I store the boat indoors. Boiling water maybe...it hits 120 there in summer and cools down to about 55-60 in the winter.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

Can't see dragging a drive up the ramp damaging that area. It would have to be from the bearing seizing. Only bellow that will interchange with mercruiser is the shift bellow but you'll never get the new one on the cable. At least I've never been able to. I've got a used one that looks new except the two bolt holes on the inside just above the gimbal bearing needs to be retapped. One has a bolt broke off in it. E mail me and I'll make ya a deal. I just hate to see ya disassemble everything just to replace that piece. I would probably remove everything on the outside and see if someone could tig weld the crack on the outside. Then file the area of the boot down smooth.

 

[jmattor]

Re: More fun w/ Yamaha O/D

You do know your stuff. It's like you were here today. I tried merc, OMC and Volvo bellows, no go.<br />I towed the boat back to my shop and had one of my guys tig it. Tuff part was gettin' all the way back in there. The crack must have been from the bearing because there was a bit of a twist and I had to really torq down on a clamp to line up and close the crack so it could be welded.I grinded it down as smooth as I could where the bellows goes, then the sun set and I had to call it a day. In the morning I'll go back at it with a dremel to re establish the groove for the bellows.<br />Thanks for the offer. I'll e-mail you with my shopping list.