never enuff

Yesterday while out on the lake I started the boat, put it in gear and felt and heard a loud thump(was in about 20 ft. of water). Checked all the gauges and everything was ok. Stopped the engine and raised the lower unit and everything looked ok. Later that day was running about 50 with the lower trimmed up and started to lower the lower unit and felt the boat "shudder". The lower unit went down without any problem. Stopped the boat again and raised the lower unit and the prop and lower unit looked ok. I'm trying to determine what happened and why all of a sudden I get a shudder when I lower the lower unit at speeds over 45 mph. All fluid levels that I can see look ok. The lower unit doesn't seem to have any side to side play in it and the prop looks perfect. Anyone have any ideas???????????????????
P.S.--2004 Baja 275 with a HO

Dock Holiday

Okay - Process of Elimination:

Drive Fluid at Normal Level - Okay
Trim Pump Fluid at Normal Level - Okay
(No Visible Fluid Leaks)

Prop show no visible damage - Okay

Drive does not show any visible damage - Okay
Drive is NOT loose - Okay

________________________________________

With all the above in good shape I would say you have some bad problems.

Could possibly be internal in the drive, but I'm guessing Gimbal Bearing.

How many hours are on the boat?

never enuff

Boat has 92 hours on it. Last year when they were servicing the boat they found that the boot was leaking and they had to replace the gimble bearing and some other internal parts. The dealer said that the boot was defective and that there had been some problems with them and Merc was replacing them with new ones. Is there anything else I should have noticed about the operation of the boat if the gimble was bad?

Dock Holiday

A couple of years ago now I lost some teeth off the upper gear set on my starboard drive.

We were cruising at 45 MPH with six people on board from Beaufort, SC back to Charleston, SC.

I heard the problem, but all gauges read perfect and we had 30 miles to go so I just kept on trucking.

When we finally came off plane the boat shook bad and we all thought that I had a bad u-Joint.

I only used it to dock and then to get on the trailer and it had some bad clunk noises and shook the boat while in gear.

The more I think about what you have written I'm leaning toward the internals of the drive.

Dock Holiday

Jay,

You may want to take a good luck at the engine mounts and make sure they are all tight and that the motor has not shifted making the drive line angle off. That would put stress on the gimbal and the u-joint.

Did you spin the prop on the drive while on the trailer?

Most problems internal will be obvious when you spin the prop.

May want to start it on the hose and stand at a safe distance behind the boat and watch while someone shifts the drive in and out of gear and trims it up and down a little.

Dock

never enuff

Thanks for the advice Mark. We'll run it up on the trailer and see what happens. Last time I was in at the Ski Dock they reminded me that the boat was out of warranty, but I think the engine and lower unit has a 2 year warranty so it should still be good---I hope!!! Damn this boating stuff is fun---almost like being self employed

Dock Holiday

Standard warranty is one year on hull, engine and drive. Unless you have an extended warranty. However a really good dealer can pull some strings especially on the drive with that few of hours. Mine got me a complete BRAND new drive two months after the warranty ended.

Good luck and keep us posted.

never enuff

I think when I bought the boat they told me 2 yrs. on the engine and drive. I guess this will be the time to see if I heard right--I hope so. Will take it in tomorrow.

Dock Holiday

Good luck buddy, keep us posted. At your age the hearing may be going also!

TBairos

LMAO!!!

I was also told that I have 2 years on my engine and drive package. I have an "05" 25ol with an HO.

In "05" my warranty is as follows:

1 yr Bow to Stern
2 yrs Engine and Drive
5 yrs Structural Hull