Another Mercrusier Special Moment!

kkalsch

kkalsch

Member
Aug 3, 2010
376
Pine Knoll Shores NC
Boat Info
2016 Sea Hunt Gamefish 27
Engines
Fuel Sipping Yamaha F150's 4 stroke
Coming back last weekend from Cape Lookout we lost our port engine -it just shut off with no smartcraft beeps -(I found out the next day a fuse blown -there are three fuses in a sealed box that's mounted on the port side exhaust manifold along with the ECM and 2 relays) anyway I was nursing the boat in on the starboard engine for quite some time -I was about 2 miles from my home dock when I hit a sand bar ... I was going 6 knots and herd a bang and gears grinding. So Sea Tow to the rescue! They did a great job . Anyway I figured at this point I toasted the drive. When I pulled the boat out yesterday you could of knocked we over with a feather -The bellows is holding the drive on which in turn is keeping the water out from the boat sinking!

Pictures on post #4 ...........the gimbal ring is broke in half

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WOW. Very fortunate. That's pretty severe damage for a sand bar to inflict at 6 knots (?)
 
That's pretty crazy......I don't think your out drive is suppose to fall off when grounding at 6 knots. You must have hit something solid. Any impact marks on the out drive?
 
Galvanic corrosion? Better check the other one for weak points as well.
 
rondds said:
Galvanic corrosion? Better check the other one for weak points as well.
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Believe it or not those drives are the original and have been in saltwater full time -there is no galvanic corrosion -now my 240 with a Bravo 3 in the same slip ...I could not stop it from galvanic corrosion
 
kkalsch said:
Believe it or not those drives are the original and have been in saltwater full time -there is no galvanic corrosion -now my 240 with a Bravo 3 in the same slip ...I could not stop it from galvanic corrosion
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Had to be some sand that turned to concrete. If you hit something shouldn't the drive flip up like an outboard? That's how it works when I've hit things. I hit a log going 30 knots and didn't rip the out drive like that.

I guess every situation is different, seems like excessive damage for such a slow speed.
 
Wow, that's certainly something I haven't seen before! I feel for you - but glad that the bellows turned out to NOT be the weak link!

When you hit the bar, did you then back off under power without tilting up or checking? My first thought goes to thinking it was wedged on and reversing too hard caused that. Either that or, maybe more likely, there ended up being a vertical load put on the pivot. Under normal circumstances, even hitting something at high speeds shouldn't cause that. Not to say that it 'can't' happen, but I've seen some pretty crazy accidents and have never seen that. Even so, I have to think that there might have been some corrosion setting in to weaken the metal.
 
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Jmwarren said:
I'll second that. You are one LUCKY person. Even if you had a plug big enough there's be NO WAY to plug that hole!

This did make me thing...if I ever shed a propshaft, I need some nice big plugs!
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Come on guys......do really think the engineers at Mercury Marine have not fully tested the Alpha One drive system for every possible damage situation? I am sure ...I am not the only person on the plant to break a gimbal ring and not have a total catastrophic life threatening event ...they knew the combination of the bellows boot and the hydraulic rams would hold that drive in place! and for me to leave the boat in the water for a week after the damaging event is even more proof!!

SO..........I am not buying a lottery ticket! I am buying two!! and thank goodness for insurance!
 
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I saw a sea ray 30 footer get towed in and hauled same thing hit a sand bar on south shore ripped the drive off. when they pulled it the boat it was hanging by the trim lines. didnt take on any water
 
kkalsch said:
Come on guys......do really think the engineers at Mercury Marine have not fully tested the Alpha One drive system for every possible damage situation? I am sure ...I am not the only person on the plant to break a gimbal ring and not have a total catastrophic life threatening event ...they knew the combination of the bellows boot and the hydraulic rams would hold that drive in place! and for me to leave the boat in the water for a week after the damaging event is even more proof!!

SO..........I am not buying a lottery ticket! I am buying two!! and thank goodness for insurance!
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Check out these threads.......You are not the only one.

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/45226-The-official-end-to-my-boating-season-(/page5

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/46027-de-ja-vu
 
saopm said:
Hope you are having better days.
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Yes. I've had may better days, since that incident. Taught me many valuable lessons though....Like Better anchoring scopes, Look before you leap, when in doubt, raise the dang drives...Always make sure your "Rubbers" are up to date! ;)
 
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