Alpha apart...

[CDMA]

Between finals I have been messing with my drive. I ran home today and first thing I did was pull the top cap. Looked fine. No missing teeth no shards or anything. I was really suprised. So then I pulled the drive. And to my suprise the u joints looked fine. Not really sure what to look for in them but saw nothing that jumped out and bit me. Moved freely etc. The rubber engine coupler looks fine too. No burnt rubber or anything like that. BUT... the bellows was filled with gear oil. The turquise stuff from the drive. I guess the seal went around the the input shaft and so forth. Now to make it worse upon close inspection that gear oil is FILLED with tiny metal particles. It looks almost metalic. So obviosly something is wrong there but where were all those crazy noise from then...the lower....oh confused, hot tired and burnt out on engineering here in humidityville. Any ideas guys???

Chris

[Forrest]

My guess . . . the gearcase, along with the gear oil, got very hot and forced oil past the seal in the top. At the same time, the forward gear and the pinion were overheated and casuing them to wear very quickly until finally, a tooth broke off . . . or it could have been something else all together. Hell, I don't know, Chris, I don't even have a crystal ball for that matter. Take it apart, damn it!!!

Any other guesses????

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Forrest

[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 06-15-2001).]

[Jamesbon]

Take her apart.

[RickR]

Very fine metalic particles in the gear lube that look like metal flake paint are fairly common but it does mean something is wearing.

Some ideas?
The previous owner may have run the engine with the drive all the way up and worn out the input shaft bearing causing the upper gearcase seal to leak. Do the upper bearings look like they have gotten hot (Blued)?

Are the u-joints marine? They sure make a racket when they go bad.
Usually you can tell a bad u-joint by messing with the trim. At neutral trim going straight they quit vibrating.

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RICKR
mailto:riggerb@aol.comriggerb@aol.com</A>

[Rich]

Chris.....
Take it to Moss Marine in Amityville. He'll have you back in the water in no time.
631-598-0888

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Rich

[CDMA]

Ok ok I will I will. Not sure how to take her apart yet but guess I gotta just sit there with my manual. Just no time till finals are over. I think I have a good rebuilt one coming and then I will rebuild this one at my leisure.


Chris