Rattle when in gear

[Moses74]

Hey everyone. Im mechanically stupid so bare with me please. Mercruiser 3.0 engine. Just had a bunch of repairs done when the boat stopped starting. I have two issues still. One is the gear lube monitor reservoir is empty. I filled it and it went empty in an hour on the water. Never saw anything on the ground when it was parked at the house, not sure if something is leaking or where it’s going. And second is this horrible rattling the boat makes in gear. We get going pulling a tube and it starts to make this noise and loses power fast. Cousin seems to think its just we have too much weight on board. Two in the tube and 4 on the boat. Id guess the tube had 325-350lbs on it and in the boat we were probably 550lbs. So definitely over the weight capacity for the boat. Im adding videos of the noise. Definitely isnt just the weight because it made the same noise at home on the hose. Any ideas would be helpful

 

[racerone]

Check the gear oil.------And find out where oil is leaking out.------This sounds expensive.-----Or is propeller hitting the trim tab?

 

[alldodge]

Check the gear oil.-

Agree, and was the drive filled before install???

Also drive is to high to be running on a hose, get it lower

 

[Grub54891]

Yeah that sounds like the prop us hitting the trim tab. Did you recently change props? Hope the drive isn’t low on oil. A little history of what the shop did with repairs would help.

 

[nola mike]

Protip: when your boat starts making bad noises and critical fluids are disappearing, the solution is almost never to give it more gas while overloaded and pulling tubes. Hopefully you didn't toast the drive. Pull the drain plug and check for metal

 

[Moses74]

Yeah that sounds like the prop us hitting the trim tab. Did you recently change props? Hope the drive isn’t low on oil. A little history of what the shop did with repairs would help.

I just bought the boat from someone. He replaced the prop. Its brand new.

 

[Moses74]

Protip: when your boat starts making bad noises and critical fluids are disappearing, the solution is almost never to give it more gas while overloaded and pulling tubes. Hopefully you didn't toast the drive. Pull the drain plug and check for metal

Yes I understand that. I didnt realize the gear oil was gone from the reserve until after we got back to the house. There is no oil or anything on the ground where I park the boat. Is it possible to leak only when in the water? Because if there was a leak wouldn’t i see it on the ground. I thought maybe it’s leaking from the tank itself or something. And being ejected with the bilge so I dont see it. Down where the bilge pump is a nasty mess, but I thought probably the previous owner probably changed the oil and drained it down there thru the bilge instead of the right way pumping it out. Guess Ill have to buy a pump so I can drain then refill the gear oil and see what that looks like

 

[Moses74]

Protip: when your boat starts making bad noises and critical fluids are disappearing, the solution is almost never to give it more gas while overloaded and pulling tubes. Hopefully you didn't toast the drive. Pull the drain plug and check for metal

When I keep the throttle half way or less it doesn’t make any noise at all. Only when I try to go 3/4 or more. If there was something lose or broke in the drive wouldnt it make noise all the time?

 

[harringtondav]

Your outdrive must be filled from the bottom up. You'll need an inexpensive lube pump. Remove the bottom filler screw per @nola mike above and see if any lube, and anything else drains out. Attach the lube pump, remove the vent screw above, and start pumping lube until it dribbles out the vent hole. Replace the vent screw and continue pumping lube until it appears in the lube reservoir bottle. If it is empty you'll need to open a second quart of lube.
Quickly remove the lube pump and replace the drain screw. Top off the reservoir bottle.
If your drive lube was low the bottle would quickly drain into the drive. Hopefully the drive lube wasn't too low.

 

[nola mike]

Yes I understand that. I didnt realize the gear oil was gone from the reserve until after we got back to the house. There is no oil or anything on the ground where I park the boat. Is it possible to leak only when in the water? Because if there was a leak wouldn’t i see it on the ground. I thought maybe it’s leaking from the tank itself or something. And being ejected with the bilge so I dont see it. Down where the bilge pump is a nasty mess, but I thought probably the previous owner probably changed the oil and drained it down there thru the bilge instead of the right way pumping it out. Guess Ill have to buy a pump so I can drain then refill the gear oil and see what that looks like

Smell whatever's in your bilge. Gear oil is very easy to distinguish from motor oil. It can also be leaking into your drive shaft bellows (and possibly then back to the bilge). Unless you can definitively find a leak at the reservoir, your drive needs to come off.

When I keep the throttle half way or less it doesn’t make any noise at all. Only when I try to go 3/4 or more. If there was something lose or broke in the drive wouldnt it make noise all the time?

Sometimes things like to give you a warning before they self-disassemble completely. U-joints can also sound like that.

 

[QBhoy]

Spin that prop by hand and see if it’s hitting that trim anode fin behind it. Sure sounds like it.
I’d also take the prop off and check the hub kit it has. Make sure it’s ok. Make sure it’s the right prop too and the thrust washer is present. Otherwise ir will be perhaps contacting your gearcase exhaust cavity

 

[QBhoy]

It’s definitely the trim anode fin getting contacted by the prop. Can actually see the contact marks on each blade of that new prop. The paints off it where it’s been hitting it

 

[Stinnett21]

That looks like a large distance from the outdrive barrel to the raised edge on the prop. I think he has the wrong thrust washer or it's installed backwards.

 

[QBhoy]

In addition to my post about it contacting the prop (clearly is)…the fella with the post above there..might have a point too. Could have the wrong or wrong way about washer there. But also should be known that some props available for the alpha one, require the slightly cut down size of trim anode fin installed. Had to do this to a boat not long ago, for a tempest prop to not contact.

 

[harringtondav]

Picking up on @QBhoy 's comments. The trim anode is unnecessary with power assist steering. Flush anodes are available and will prevent this and trash/wood getting caught and bending your prop.
Easily changed. Pop the plastic hole cover and use a 3/8" drive 1/2" socket with a longish extension to loosen the anode. Be very careful to keep the cap screw through its hole by keeping the wrench on it. If it comes loose inside the lower housing it's nearly impossible to get it back into place w/o dropping the lower hsg.

 

[QBhoy]

Picking up on @QBhoy 's comments. The trim anode is unnecessary with power assist steering. Flush anodes are available and will prevent this and trash/wood getting caught and bending your prop.
Easily changed. Pop the plastic hole cover and use a 3/8" drive 1/2" socket with a longish extension to loosen the anode. Be very careful to keep the cap screw through its hole by keeping the wrench on it. If it comes loose inside the lower housing it's nearly impossible to get it back into place w/o dropping the lower hsg.

Agree…wasn’t sure if it might be one of the 3.0 with no power steering. Usually the only reason an alpha might have such an anode perhaps, rather than the flush fit anode, found on the larger power steering equipped arrangements. All the best

 

[alldodge]

Take a file or grinder and grind the tab down where the prop touches

 

[QBhoy]

Take a file or grinder and grind the tab down where the prop touches

Not long ago…I witnessed the quick version of this solution in action. Turns out that a good quality stainless steel prop, makes a fine and surprisingly precise job of finely machining and adjusting the anode to suit !!! Just the one loud clatter is all it took…haha !