What broke in my outdrive?
 

Single 502 w/ bravo 1 in 27 fountain

Getting on plane yesterday, i heard a clunk and a whirring noise, and the boat wasn't going forward anymore. Lost forward and reverse.

What's the most common thing to let loose in these things? Do i start with the top half or the bottom half?

I have a clymers manual. anything specific i need to know about tearing this sum***** apart?

If i pay someone to fix it, how much can i expect to pay?

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Check cable adjustment first and then work from there. Hopefully it is something that simple.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I unhooked the cable where it attaches to the motor and tried shoving it into gear. I didn't get anything.

Is there something on the other end that can cause it to pop out of gear like that?

I just had the cable replaced... (along with the bellows and u-joints)

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Vertical clutch shaft.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

could be any number of things from the pinion shaft to the input gear to a problem in the lower,


Get someone who knows bravos and has the correct tools to tear it down if not your just asking for trouble,

You would be suprised how many merc, volvo ,omc drives I get handed to me in pieces/boxes because people thought they could do it them self, ussually half the parts are broken


oh and depending what it is plan on about 1500- 2500, the upper gear set alone is about 850.00 just for the gear set,

if its less youll feel better

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Could it be the coupler? Simple part, but pain in the rear to replace. Have to remove the engine to get to it. Usually caused by misaligned drive and motor or no grease on the spline. I paid a little over $800 to get my last one replaced.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

get one of them merc engine Coupler removers ... pulls it out thru the gimbel bearing ...... :D

800.00 dont sound to bad if it included the coupler .... m

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

If it's the coupler it should be free. And i suppose it could be the coupler.

Same shop did the motor last year and the u-joints and bellows this year. If that ****'s out of alignment, it's on them.

My plan is to pull the drive, pull off the top cap, and possibly separate the upper from the lower. I should be able to narrow it down that way. I don't have any special tools to yank the rest of it apart.

I called the shop i've used, they said they can't touch it for 2 weeks. Wrong time of year to break **** in Michigan.

With this kind of power (stock carb'd 502 mag), and a boat that requires a solid 15 seconds of WOT just to get on plane when loaded, how long can i reasonable expect an outdrive to last?

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

thats Scary ....

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Merc engine coupler removers through the gimble bearing? Seriously? Sounds like that joke about a gyno going to auto mechanics school and getting an A++, for rebuilding an engine through the tailpipes. :D

$800 was the marine mechanics off hours, cash only, work in the garage behind his house price.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Look down behind the motor where the drive shaft goes into the coupler. If it's shot you'll either see rubber or aluminum shavings. You can also start the motor, shift it in gear and see if everything is spinning before you go and pull the drive off.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Samething happened to me a month ago. 27 Fountain 496HO after just getting on plane just popped out of gear like a neutral drop. Pulled drive apart and had broken the vertical/down shaft just above the gears in the lower (looked like it had been slowly breaking for some time looking at the condition of the break). Bad casting??? Boat only has 160hrs!!!

Any Merc Certified businesses know if Merc would cover that repair if it was indeed a bad casting problem??? What should I do to approach them with this concern???

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I'll have to take a look at that (the coupler). I kind of doubt it's the coupler, but hey, you never know. I screwed with it for about 10 minutes after it broke yesterday, then shut the hatch and started drinking heavily. I had tools with me, but whatever it was, i didn't have parts.

I want the towboat. Steel hulled diesel jet RIB.

Thank God for TowBOAT US. My dad has the unlimited coverage, and gets an extra card for me. Saved me $450 yesterday, and it would have been more if it wasn't a member rate. Rather, it saved my dad from having to come out and tow me back in with his boat.

Assuming it's in the outdrive, i'm hoping whatever broke didn't dynamite and screw everything else up.

When i have it fixed, is there a typical overhaul that's done, typical wear parts that should be replaced "while it's apart", or is it all hard parts and just a "fix what's broken" type thing?

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Thats the answer to your question

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I was lucky, no other damage just replaced the shaft and made sure all was cleaned out before putting it back together. Hopefully similar situation for you wasn't that expensive of a repair.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

that might answer the question "why" but not "what"

Bigger tabs this year, i can get on plane with 1/2 throttle if i only have one passenger.

Yesterday, tabs halfway down, drive all the way in, 4 people aboard, full fuel, 60 lbs or so of tools down below. 12 seconds at WOT until i was on plane.

I probably need to get my prop dialed in a little better, but that's just more $$ that i don't have right now.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

you got me there
:D

are you running a 3 blade or 4 blade? is it blowing out when your taking off? what pitch prop?

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

might be worth dialing in if it doesnt cost you an outdrive. props are cheaper
:D

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Running a 21" mirage + right now.

Previously i had a 19" powertech.

with the 19" it ran 59 mph at 5200 rpm, with the 21" i get closer to 62 mph with more weight in the boat, at 4500 rpm. I need about a 20" prop, i figure.

Why the hell can't the outdrive stand up to the torque, though?

F'in mercruiser thieves.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

My quess too, having broke them myself. Bang, freewheels, no forward or reverse.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Before you take anything apart...check the coupler , it's a whole lot easier :rolleyes:

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

4 blade may help you plane better, but i don't think they make them that small.

just find a 'heavily' intoxicated fat girl and have her pass out in your V-Berth....should help getting you on plane. :eek:

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

GOOD LUCK I JUST BROKE MY BRAVO AND WENT TO A XR WHY PUT A DRIVE ON THE BOAT IF YOU KNOW ITS NOT GOING TO STAND UP TO THE BOAT AND THE MOTOR IN IT :eek: STOCK MOTORS AND A DRIVE THAT WONT HOLD UP, BUT I GUESS WE PAY TO HAVE OUR TOYS

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Call Mr. Gadgets. AKA Dick Trice 616-403-1006 cell. He helped me out when I was in a bind last summer. He's knows Bravo's inside and out.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

If i had money to burn, i'd be running a duramax with a konrad behind it.

I will check the coupler, for sure. But if it's toast, the drive has to come off anyway, right?

So leading two theories are vertical shaft and coupler. Thinking shaft is more likely, but hey, if they didn't line the motor up right when they rebuilt it last year, the coupler could easily be the culprit.

On the plus side, i didn't hear any nasty grinding noises, or any bad explosion type noises, so hopefully it's just one or two hard parts and some labor.

Anyone know a good outdrive shop in SE MI? One that can get me in soon? I for damn sure need this boat ready by the 23rd of next month.

I guess this just makes me glad i bought a couple of jet skis this spring.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I put lead diving weights in the bow of a 19' welcraft I had ....worked great ....

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

So i checked it out a bit more after work.

Took a look at the coupler, didn't see anything wrong. Marked the grease on the shaft with my finger, next to the zirc fitting, and bumped the engine over a couple times with the ignition killed. Stayed lined up.

Then i pulled the top cap off the drive to inspect. No chunks of metal or anything. I turned the propshaft by hand and could see the top of the vertical shaft turning. There was no resistance or any wierd noises. I put it in gear and did the same thing. Top of the vertical shaft still spins when i turn the propshaft. The gears on the clutch pack and the input shaft are not turning either.

So, i'm thinking it's either something in the shift cable, shifter mechanism, or most likely, the clutch pack. The shift cable feels like it's hooked up, but i didn't think to try to verify that anything was moving in the oudrive when it shifted. That cable was replaced this spring, boat's been run about 10 hours since then.

I also took a look at the reservoir. It was near empty. I didn't think to check it before pulling off the top cover, but nothing leaked out when i pulled it. The oil level in the drive looked like it was about halfway up on the clutch pack.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I second that. And hes not that far from you.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Give me a call Dave. I am starting to get busy, but can work it in for you..

Dick

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Thanks, but I already dropped the boat off at the same shop i've been using.

They said they can look at it some time next week, and if it's "something stupid" i may have it back the following weekend.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by sleeper_dave

With this kind of power (stock carb'd 502 mag), and a boat that requires a solid 15 seconds of WOT just to get on plane when loaded, how long can i reasonable expect an outdrive to last?
thats Scary ....

Real Scary :eek:

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Whoever said coupler wins, apparently.

Shop called today, said it needs a coupler and an output shaft, $1500-$1700 to get-r-done, should be ready next week.

I'm kind of surprised, i didn't see any evidence that it let go, but of course i couldn't really test it myself before i dropped the boat off.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Next time test the coupler under a load, not on the trailer.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Hopefully there won't be a next time.

But point taken. I knew when i checked it that it wasn't a completely valid way to test it.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Is that using that coupler changer through the bell housing tool? Man, I gotta see one of those things. Make sure the job includes aligning the engine after the new coupler goes in. Last thing you want is to do this again in about 10 hours.

What happened to the output shaft to need a new one? Usually the shaft eats the coupler, sort of like rock smashes scissors.

Good luck.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

I'm going to ask to see the old parts, obviously. Based on the sound i heard, i suspect that the splines in the coupler let go and fubared the splines on the shaft.

They're pulling the motor to install the coupler. I don't think the coupler would fit through the bellhousing.

I did ask them if they would be aligning the motor after installing the coupler. They had the motor out last year to rebuild it, it's been about 70 hours since then, so i'm hoping it didn't go to crap because they were lazy when they put it in. New management at the place now, though.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

The next thing you need to do is find out why it's so slow plaining off. I have the same boat and power in the shop right now and its running a Mach 1 LH 23p prop and plains off very fast. This boat has no mods.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

Maby whoever changed the u-Joints forgot the spline grease :eek:

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

There was grease on the splines.

I have a 1.36 ratio drive and i'm spinning a 21" prop. The boat had a 19" prop on it when i got it, and planed faster, but i was running a little over 5200 at WOT. I actually picked up speed when i borrowed a 23" prop... i picked up 2 mph even though the motor was only spinning to 4200 RPM. With the 21" it gets on plane okay, the big tabs (martiniboat style, custom fabricated though) help a lot, but if i have a full load on the boat (the day it broke i had 4 people and full fuel) it doesn't exactly hop on plane. I want to try a 4 blade prop in the 20" range, but my budget calls for a used prop and i haven't seen any pop up.

Re: What broke in my outdrive?
 

The gear ratio is hurting you,if ya get a chance to change back to a 1.50 I would !!!


The hub could of been run dry then lubed after it was to late. Mine was fixing to go out ,you can see the splines are T-ped to a sharp point fixing to fail.I was told in a previous thread this is from the lack of grease .The engine was aligned