Boating Rookie Needs Advice
 

I've got a 2000 Baja 25 Outlaw w/ Bravo 1 (340 hrs) and got some serious slop in the drive. Real tough to maneuver around the docks. I got it out of the water for the season and found a guy I trust to help me pull the drive off. Now I have been told that it is the Gimbal Ring that needs replacing. Is that accurate? Do I need an entire new transom assembly or just the ring itself. Going to pull the motor to get at it instead of drilling. Anything else I should replace since I am getting this deep into it? Thanks for you help guys...

Either a new, or rebuilt gimbal ring,,,,, or add hydraulic steering

If you end up replacing the ring,,,,, get a new steer shaft ( will probably be pitted and corroded ) and steer shaft seal as well

First figure out where the slop actually is. Most likely the little tiller arm.. The upper pivot pin on the gimble ring attaches to iit. At that point wear loosen the tiller arm, sometimes you can tighten it back up with the pinch bolt, sometimes you have to replace the pivot pin and or tiller arm. If you are going to rip into it, now is a good time to replace the bellows and gimble bearing,

So no need for new transom assembly then. Just the ring, steer shaft and seal should do the trick?

Slop is side to side (when on trailer) and pretty significant. Since motor will be out, I would like to replace anything that needs to be replaced. Don't want to have to pull again.

The gimble ring itself is usually ok, its the pin and the tiller that usually take the beating.

If you're asking what you should do while the engine is also out, you should probably replace the bilge pump, hose and blower hoses. A nice coat of paint. Fix some
Of bajas horrendus rigging from the factory. Give the engine a nice bath and maybe a coat of paint wouldn't hurt. New belts and impeller. Add an oil drain hose to the drain pan if you don't have one installed,

depending how long you've owned the boat id put a new starter on it if it's been on there 4-5 years. (I'm a guy who ways worries about battery's and starting)

I'm sure there's more. That's just off the top of my head. Just hang around here long enough and we will love to spend your money lol.

check it with the engine running

Search JR Marine, their aftermarket replacement parts are engineered better than stock. Used them on a past boat to repair bad ring, pin, and u-bolt.

The upper swivel pin nuts are supposed to be retorqued every so often, to take up any slack from wear/stretching. Nobody ever does that, and it turns into a slop fest in there. I had a bravo boat years ago, that had some play there. I loosened, and retorqued the nuts to spec, and it really took out alot of the play.

Pull the manifolds and check for rust. My 99 looked good on top, but had a "lil" rust on bottom and ended up leaking 4 times out for new owner. Replace if needed, stock is cheap, or I think 496 take offs work as well.

Check/replace all senders while its out or at least check connections. If not touched since new, they are probably a bit rusty as well.

As for slop, check cable for slack also. Then change swivel pin, U bolt and rebuild ring and replace all seals and shims, bellows, etc.

Grease u joint on drive, check/replace gimbal bearing as well.

I think that covers everything I would ahve done to my 99 25ol (454 mag) if i would have taken out.

Add Flush kit? always hate jumping out to change muffs... now I have to do it twice! :faint2:

Second this. Ron at jr marine is the best and will take good care of you. I had a lot of slop in my Baja drives and it was where the square is cut in the gimbal for the steering shaft so both gimbal rings needed to be replaced.

Will do

Had the boat 2 seasons now. 330 hours on it. Runs fantastic other than the sloppy drive. Definitely replacing the bilge pump and float switch since the motor will be out. Good scrub of the bilge will happen as well. Not sure if the drain pan has a drain hose or not. Been pulling the oil out thru the stick. Good advice on the starter. Not sure when it has been replace. Impeller just replaced at the beginning of the season.

Outlaw if it turns out you need a transom aysimbly I have a very tight one. Just FYI