My sterndrive's buggered - help please

"with twin stern drives on a old boat, you could become my best customer" so sadly, I don't know if I could afford it.....


It all depends if the sterndrives have been properly mantained by the previous owners.
If the previous owners have all been wealthly enough to be able to afford the frequent and expensive regular servicing and have also been real obsessives about not missing a single recommended service over their years of ownership, you will only have to continue their attention to detail and only expect problems from wear and tear.

However depends on what do you think the chances are of all the previous ????? owners not being either skint or tightwads or even more probably both.
Personally think its mainly down to size and age,sub 20ft sports boat or under 5 years old is OK,any thing bigger and older and with with twins,just be aware its not if .....its when lack of servicing and the sheer complexity of the things will come home to roost.. :)
 
Good indication of problems ahead .

Undo drain plug at bottom of leg.
Oil should be clear with no significant discoloration and DEFINATELY no milky creamy goo in there.
 
oGaryo said:
thanks BM the 1st:D

Resourceful lots us boaty folk... cross bearings are coming out a treat with this method.. benefits of using a large adjustable spanner on the bearing cap end is the vice doesn't have to open so far and you can see the bearing cap coming through.. using a large socket obscures it. the large spanner is purely for leverage and the smaller socket obviously used to push the bearing through. no heating required, the extra pressure from the heavy duty vice is enough to push it through.
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Very neat solution. Have you bought all the bits to put it back together again?
 
not yet but have a PM from Mercuryman who'll be providing them..

you know that situation when you get cocky and it's at that point something reminds you who's boss.. well, that happened shortly after posting the above.. my nice straight handle on the vice resembles a banana:(

it started to rain too so I left it to regroup and think of options to remove the extra stubborn ones... application of heat is one but I've an idea to use a car jack as a hydraulic press or simply take the whole thing down the local garage and ask them to remove them... a little reluctant to do the latter as they may be a heavy handed being used to UJ on trucks.. big hammers etc.

Will have another go during the week.. gotta take the lad back to uni this weekend so earliest I can get back down to refit is the following weekend or take a day off during the week.
 
lovezoo said:
If they've got the right tools it should be straightforward - if you do that I think I would get them to make up the new joints at the same time, then all you have to do is put it back on the boat - job done.
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just googled Hydraulic Press Milton Keynes and a motor forum recommended an organisation named Marlin Motors not 500yds from my front door.. called them and they have the press + happy to take a look at it.. will take it round to them and get a quote for removal and replacement as you suggest:cool:
 
oGaryo said:
just googled Hydraulic Press Milton Keynes and a motor forum recommended an organisation named Marlin Motors not 500yds from my front door.. called them and they have the press + happy to take a look at it.. will take it round to them and get a quote for removal and replacement as you suggest:cool:
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Gary, we are not local (but on your way to Southampton as we are 2 minutes from J11 M25) if you have any probs we have a 20tonne press in our workshop you could use anytime....
 
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Firefly625 said:
Gary, we are not local (but on your way to Southampton as we are 2 minutes from J11 M25) if you have any probs we have a 20tonne press in our workshop you could use anytime....
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cheers buddy, got the sterndrive up in MK at present else I'd have taken you up on your kind offer.

Taken aback by the number of offers of help on this one to be honest..

you're all wonderfull people who'll go to boaty heaven with a complimentary boat of your choice to use for eternity in ever calm seas and sunshine..... boat will fitted out with a bottomless fun box and buxom babes galore to serve the drinks... :cool: and all because I buggered me sterndrive:D
 
oGaryo said:
just googled Hydraulic Press Milton Keynes and a motor forum recommended an organisation named Marlin Motors not 500yds from my front door.. called them and they have the press + happy to take a look at it.. will take it round to them and get a quote for removal and replacement as you suggest:cool:
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Yep, sensible thing to do if you haven't got the right tools. It will also save you having to start a thread titled "My vice is buggered". :D
 
Glad to see you're on the way to getting the stubborn little buggers out, I did a YouTube search too, it appears we were doing all the right things, just maybe a bit too gently ? It seems taping the yokes whilst under pressure off the clamp/vice has good effect, in breaking the grip ??
 
tinkicker0 said:
Gimbal bearing. Although it says it on the tube, NEVER use Quicksilver 2/4C Lube on your gimbal, the balls in there don't like the teflon and tend to skid rather than roll, knackering the bearing quite quickly.
Always use a good quality EP2 grease.

Also, after greasing the bearing put a dab of sealant over the grease nipple end, there have been problems with water making its way down the grease channel and directly into the bearing. This has happened to me once.
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the new gimbal bearings from mercruiser are sealed, therefore no grease is needed. they usually come with a tamper-proof grub screw which replaces the grease nipple, but true no grease should be put on the gimbal bearing when it is being installed
 
piston-head said:
the new gimbal bearings from mercruiser are sealed, therefore no grease is needed. they usually come with a tamper-proof grub screw which replaces the grease nipple, but true no grease should be put on the gimbal bearing when it is being installed
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thanks for the advice.. having the gimbal bearing fitted so will be done without the risk of a cock up by yours truely:D
 
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right then:D, had enough of flame throwers and bendy C Clamps so going to buy some proper gear to get the UJ's out... have got all but those closest to the sterdrive housing moving but the end caps are also playing hard to get for those that are moving:mad:..

don't want to get the BFH out in case I bend the yoke so have ordered these instead... as Steve's said in the other thread, the weather's doing nowt so I can wait another week or two before getting the boat back in... so long as she's bobbing about by the early May BH, I'm ok...

Heavy Duty C Frame Press
ball-joint-service-remover-separator-4x4-adaptors-246-p.jpg


and a 450NM rated Impact Wrench to use on the above
clarke-1-2-1kw-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench-240v-142-p.jpg


Was going to buy my own Hydraulic press but felt I'd get more use out of the Impact Wrench and C Press after sorting out the UJ's

Video of the setup in use albeit with an air operated Impact Wrench
 
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looks interesting....
Wouldn't have thought of using a impact wrench, as the thread of the clamp would take the "impact" out of the tool, but seemed to work well.
In a perverse way, I'm glad they are not proving too easy ;)
 
SPOTTYDOG3 said:
looks interesting....
Wouldn't have thought of using a impact wrench, as the thread of the clamp would take the "impact" out of the tool, but seemed to work well.
In a perverse way, I'm glad they are not proving too easy ;)
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aparently it still has a positive impact on the U Joint, literally Roy. know what you mean re the job not being a doddle, will make the outcome more satisfying

this vid shows it a little better

 
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