What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

Lavish

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
42
I have my boat in for winter. I want to remove the outdrive from it. It's a brand new SE drive. The boat is a 1975 Mercruiser 140 I/O. Right now it will be under 4ft of snow all winter, and a block of ice come spring.

What should I do to protect my gimble bearing, and my bellows??

1004570.jpg
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

I don't see why you need to remove your outdrive? Just leave it stored just like it sits in the picture. The outdrive won't be hurt by sitting out in the cold. Just brush off the snow/ice from the boat when you can.
 

stonyloam

Vice Admiral
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Mar 13, 2009
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5,827
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

Why not remove it, do all of the service, lube u-joints, gimbal bearing, make sure all is dry in the bellows, put it back on, refill with oil and be ready for spring? Don't forget to grease the prop shaft. You gotta do it sometime.;)
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,994
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

Ayuh,... As noted, sitting as it is in the picture is Fine,... No worries....

When I pull my drive, the gimbel housing winters just Fine as is...
Other's go to elaborate schemes to cover the hole left open...
 

littlebookworm

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
574
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

Many people, myself included, pull the drive for the winter and store it indoors. That way we can service the drive, check the bellows and the bearing and the engine alignment. Your drive looks like it's an Alpha drive. To pull it put the shift lever in forward. Disconnect the cross-bolt on the drive holding the two lift cylinders to it, and remove the six nuts and washers around the drive. It should then come off. If it's stuck, jiggle it a bit; don't be gentle. It weighs about 75 lbs. so be prepared for the weight when you remove it. Having a rolling stand for it makes it easier to move, service, and install. There are threads on how to build a wooden one on this site, on BoaterEd, and on the Chaparral owners forum, among others. Get service manuals for your engine and drive so you can understand how they work and how to service the. By the way, it's easier to winterize your engine before you pull the drive. That way you can use muffs to run the engine. Check other threads for more info on winterizing. Another reason to pull the drive is to prevent its theft over the winter. Unfortunately not everyone is honest and each year drives are stolen off boats, even when they're stored on a driveway or next to a house! Good luck. Hy
 

TilliamWe

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Dec 21, 2004
Messages
6,579
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

I too always pulled my drive for the winter. I could not get my drive down as far as the one pictured above, while it was on the trailer. If your trailer won't settle (and drive the skeg into the ground) you could leave your like that.
A piece of cardboard works well to cover up the hole. Or Overton's (or someone online, maybe even iboats) makes an actual plastic cover that bolts on with the outdrive nuts. It's easy.
 

ziggy

Admiral
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Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

i think yer fine with the drive full in/down too. just like she sits... i do understand yer wanting to store the drive inside though. i also do that...
What should I do to protect my gimble bearing, and my bellows??
IMG_4246.jpg


this home made plate was my answer to that question..
Other's go to elaborate schemes to cover the hole left open...
guess i all into that category... the scheme wasn't to elaborate though.
my cover is made out of left over plexiglass i had on hand. used the gasket as a template. for the shift slide it's a hole in the plexiglass with a vitamin bottle cut off and epoxied to the plexiglass. i had all parts on hand so it didn't cost me anything. might have take an hour to make including getting out the tools to do the deed with. did it over a few beers when i wasn't doing anything on a nice afternoon one day... it works good..
 

Lavish

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
42
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

That's kinda what I wanted to do! The plexiglass is a good idea. Also great idea for the shift linkage, I was trying to figure out how to work around that.

My outdrive is only a month old and used only enough to break it in. I also replaced the bellows and gimble bearing at that time. I just changed out the oil from breaking it in. I just want to keep it in good shape. I don't like the idea of it being in an ice block this spring.

Here's some pictures from spring a couple years back at the end of March

picture086b.jpg


next day

picture092o.jpg


cleared off.....started right up

picture094z.jpg
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
12,815
Re: What can I do to remove my outdrive for winter?

Nice '64 Chevy there!
I usually do remove mine and store it in the garage for the winter, I got one of those plastic covers for the pivot housing, the main thing is to keep water out, since you don't want the gimble bearing to get rusted. If you live in an area where theft is a problem, or have to store the boat in a place with minimal security, removing it is a good idea. I started doing that because if there is a problem with a leak in the bellows I can fix it over the winter instead of leaving it until spring when all the shops are busy. In addition, water left the bellows over the winter can rust the driveshaft, gimble bearing and ujoints....
 
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