pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

[miss sandy]

Alright figured out my drive is pre alpha 1 did the presure test and air comes right out the u joint yoke assembly and I'm guessing all the seals probably need changed do to heat - grey mush in drive who no's how long (just surface rust so far) .
The question is are these drives o.k. to run on an 88 motor? is it like most things older built better and easier to work on.
Thanks for all the help so far. Ted

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

are these drives o.k. to run on an 88 motor?

yes

is it like most things older built better and easier to work on.

no - MC1 and Alpha 1 are basically identical to work on.

 

[Don S]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

If you found you have a "pre alpha" (whatever that means) from the ID download I posted, then someone, somewhere, sometime, changed the drive to a 1drive, R or MR. Reason being, in 88 (87, and 86) the drives used were Alpha I's.
Did you find a serial number on the drive ????

 

[Bondo]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

Ayuh,... I agree with Howard,...

Model 1, Alpha 1, or Alpha 1, Gen.IIs are all about the same to work on...

Without a few thousand dollars worth of specialty tools,...
You can't do squat to 'em...

 

[miss sandy]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

The boat is a 77 so I imagine it is original to the boat

 

[Don S]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

You could make this a lot easier if you explained what you really wanted to do, something like

"I have a 1977 boat with a Mercruiser 3.0L engine, can I replace the engine with a newer 88 model engine."

If that is what you are really wanting to know, personally, I'm not sure anymore.

 

[miss sandy]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

Thanks for all the info, Don I'm trying too figure out what outdrive I have so I can order the parts, also you stated to get the serial # off the drive any clue as too where this is? 3588009 is the # guy at parts store says not in computer

 

[ziggy]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

port side mercruiser decal like this.

on my '72. the decal was not readable. the s/n was also stamped into the upper under the mercuriser sticker. like this.

this number was not visable at all when painted over. even w/o the paint it is hard to see... look close..

 

[miss sandy]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

3588009 is the # guy at parts store says not in computer so I assumed this was not it

 

[Don S]

Re: pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

3588009 is the # guy at parts store says not in computer so I assumed this was not it

That is because the serial numbers were not recorded by Mercruiser back then, and recording by year didn't start happening till 1981. So, it will not come up by doing a search for the serial number alone. Your parts guy should have known that.
BUT, it does come up in the serial number range of 120/140 outdrives produced between the years 1970 to 1977, which does fall into the range of what your 1977 boat is. The drive is known as a MC-1 drive aka one drive.
Now, you know what outdrive you have.

Now, let's look at the title of this thread. pre-alpha drive on 88 merc 3.0 ?

That sounds to me like were referring to a 1drive (aka pre-alpha) mounted on a 1988 boat with a 3.0L engine. But what you actually want to do is install a 1988 3.0L engine into your 1977 boat that has the original gimbal housing and outdrive (both one drive). Is this correct ??????