I/O Outdrive "Blow UP"

Hey everyone i have a few questions for ya about outdrives. My father has a 1989 Regal with a 3.0L with a Alpha 1 outdrive.

Here's our problem. 3 years ago we our outdrive blew up while i was wakeboarding. The top two gears were completly destroyed. These two gears where the gear running off the engine shaft and the top gear in the upper outdrive. You can see them without taking off the outdrive. You just have to take off the top cover and drain the gear oil to see em.

So we ran it for a year with no problem. Then last year the stringer that supports the engine rotted out and i was wakeboarding again. The engine fell through the floor. This caused the same two gears to get destroyed again. Okay so we replaced the stringer.

So the outdrive was rebuilt by us again; each time. So we took it out for a test drive and we can get to about 15mph and then the boat falls and stops trying to plane but the engine keeps reving very strong. We also can't get it to go in reverse.

So could the engine falling through the floor destroy/damage our lower outdrive? We haven't checked the lower outdrive, haven't taken it apart. Need certain tools to pull the lower gears. We are debating on just buying a rebilt lower unit?

And also we didn't buy the alginment tool for the upper outdrive is that a problem. and we didn't know how many of those little metal shims aka rings to use either. We went off looks lol.

Trying to convince the old man to buy a 83-89 nauti 2001 or a 90-93 ski nautique but to no avail yet. So any adivce at all i would appreciate it.

Cheapest fix would be to find a trashed boat to take the whole upper and lower assy off of. Sounds like you've already got one though.
Have you considered taking it to someone qualified to work on a mercruiser.The two units share the same lube if one gets trashed you better at the very least clean out the other. You should have paid to get it right the first time.

Okay thanks for the advice... See we didn't have a problem with it again until the front engine mount litterally dropped 3 inches through the rotted stringer.

My dad likes to do things. He is very good when it comes to anything automotive minus transmissions. I keep lobbying for an older nautique and i would buy one but 20,000 a year in tution is putting a dammper on that idea.

Just quit school and mooch off mom and dad

If I had to guess, I'd guess your engine was sinking long before it "fell." That would throw off you alignment and destroy a few things in the process. I would just get an SEI drive. They're to Alpha 1 spec and they're brand new for like $1200. It's a lot better than buying new upper gears every year because you don't have the tools or knowhow to properly replace them (don't worry, I don't either). If you do get a new outdrive, check your coupler, gimbal bearing, and alignment before installation. After installation, run your engine for a while and recheck the alignment to make sure your rot issue for your engine mounts is really gone. You might try the iBoats forum. They know a lot about this sort of thing.

same exact thing happened to us. Where the motor mounts it rotted out. The motor started to drop and it blew up the outdrive gears. We re-did the motor mount in new glass and re-mounted the engine. We had to get a whole new outdrive as it trashed our old one. We had it done by a merc mechanic. Yes it was costly. Good luck.

We ended up using it for 4 years after repair and then found out the rest of the stringers had rotted too all through the boat. Sold as a project.

would love to mooch off mom and dad... but those times have come and gone.

I hate to sound rude but it may be time to stop spending money to try and fix your boat and cough up the dough for a new boat

Friends of mine have a nice 2001 for sale in Columbus.