Alpha one drive Movement

[Scarab Excell]

How much side to side drive movement should a alpha one have?

If it has to much where could it be worn at to cause this?

What I am talking about is if the drive is tilted up and you grab it how far should it move without turn the wheel with the engine off?

I looked at it real close today, at the pivot pin that connects to the steering arm there is about 1/8 inch of play. Of course at the tip of the foot with it in the up postion there is about 2 inches of play back and forth.

But the gimbal is only moving about a 1/8 th at the most.

How long can I run like this? I dont want to spend big $$ right now as the wife will kill me. This is my secound boat this year and I still have the first one so I cant even tell her I need a gimbal ring. Can I tighten it? Or should I just use it like it is?

Like they say if it Floats or F*cks it is going to cost money!!! Dang they are telling the truth!!!

[gcarter]

I fixed the problem in my old Alpha in the Minx. The gymbal ring wallows out where the SST pivot pins go through the sides. I bought some glass filled bushings that fit the pin O.D. and then took the ring, pins, and the bushings to a machine shop that had a ream about 18" long. The machinest reamed all the way through the ring (both sides) till the bushings would be pressed in w/about a .003" interference fit. It was a great solution and was only about $100.00 for the machine shop and about $3.00 per bushing.
I posted a thread about the process. I'll see if I can find it later.

[gcarter]

Here's the thread link;
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36266
One thing to remember is if the hinge pins are worn, so are all the other moving parte are too. I would suggest removing the drive and gimbal housing to completely rebuild the gimbal assembly. It is dangerous to have too much slop in the gimbal. Rus spun his boat out and it almost ripped the deck off, in fact 3/4 of the deck on one side.

[MOP]

Even in a tight setup there is a fair amount of side to side movement with the engine shut off, you get a better feel for just how loose things are by having someone hold the wheel tight on it stops in both right and full left. Let them hang hard on the wheel then go back and lean hard on the drive from side to side. With power steering you need to realize that the cable move the shuttle valve roughly and inch with -0- drive movement, in reverse you can move the drive side to side a fair bit before you will see any steering wheel movement what soever!

Phil

[Scarab Excell]

Found bolts loose, going to replace and retighten.