Project for next week... 2 NEW SEI sterndrives install.. advice??

If i was doing what you are doing i would B.O.A.T and replace the bearings and bellows , get it all , then go boating with a smile . even if it meant a VISA card , the wifes VISA card.
 
chandalen said:
Again thanks for the input all!

If the hoses look OK, like REALLY OK... I think I'm going to leave them alone.
Click to expand...


Don't be scared of the water hose it is not hard, it just takes a ton of patience to get it fit and clamped, as I recall. And then just like that it was done. No doubt a royal pain but not hard if you get what I mean...

Bucit , i need to update that thread on my spacer results, but honestly I need to use the boat more!!
 
I removed the other sterndrive.. and I was surprised to see the upper bellows filled with gear lube. It did not appear to be mixed with any water at all.

I made another post for a more direct and maybe faster answer... behind the gimbal bearings is about 1/4 space and what feels like O-rings. Is this normal??
 
Engine alignment tool arrived today... small miracles, fit in perfectly and spun easily.
Bellows tool arrived, but am still missing the hinge pin tool. Is there a substitute for this or.... hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

Drives should arrive tomorrow. Bought 80-90 gear lube at a NON marine store and saved a fortune and got synthetic. was literally 1/3 the price that West Marine charges.
 
chandalen said:
Engine alignment tool arrived today... small miracles, fit in perfectly and spun easily.
Bellows tool arrived, but am still missing the hinge pin tool. Is there a substitute for this or.... hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

Drives should arrive tomorrow. Bought 80-90 gear lube at a NON marine store and saved a fortune and got synthetic. was literally 1/3 the price that West Marine charges.
Click to expand...

When I removed the hinge pins on my bravo drives this winter I used an large allen key socket. I don't recall what size it was but it fit well.
 
Great lakes pirate said:
When I removed the hinge pins on my bravo drives this winter I used an large allen key socket. I don't recall what size it was but it fit well.
Click to expand...

Your boat being older like ours I am sure the pins are corroded and locked in tight. I would try to get a quality "mercruiser" tool. I broke two aftermarket tools and you sure do not want to strip out the pin. :wow: Just my thoughts on keeping a job as simple as possible.
 
USPS tracking said the hinge pin will be here today, it was MIA for a couple of days.
I have been soaking the hinge pins with penetrating oil the past 3 days... hopefully that helps.

An anode bolt corroded through and fell out, leaving 1/2 the shaft inside. (posted)
A new anode bolt is threaded at both ends, but did not come with a bolt for the bilge side.

The question is.. does this need a bolt on the bilge side, or does it screw into the plate.
Any suggestions on its replacement?
I ASSUME, I will be sending a small child or trained monkey with a socket wrench to tighten this on the inside??

THANKS a ton for all your help everyone!!
 
chandalen said:
USPS tracking said the hinge pin will be here today, it was MIA for a couple of days.
I have been soaking the hinge pins with penetrating oil the past 3 days... hopefully that helps.

An anode bolt corroded through and fell out, leaving 1/2 the shaft inside. (posted)
A new anode bolt is threaded at both ends, but did not come with a bolt for the bilge side.

The question is.. does this need a bolt on the bilge side, or does it screw into the plate.
Any suggestions on its replacement?
I ASSUME, I will be sending a small child or trained monkey with a socket wrench to tighten this on the inside??

THANKS a ton for all your help everyone!!
Click to expand...

Yes there is a nut and washer that needs to be installed on the inside. Get your trained monkey :grin:
I would check all the inside transom assembly fasteners while in there - before doing the alignment check.
 
Monkey hired..

SEI Drives arrived today as well as the hinge pin tool. Of course the hinge pins do / did NOT want to move. SO... I tried the just add fire idea... as fire seems to fix things.. and it did... added fire... got as much hot as i could... then tried again with the driver and cheater bar... then CRACK... I thought I broke something... nope.. hinge pin slowly turning... 1 down... 3 to go.. then I get to tackle the bellows and gimbal bearing.

Gimbal bearing is the next nightmare.

I AM SO CLOSE to using a piece of plyboard as a shield, attaching a cargo strap (10000 lb test) and a 5" bolt and my van to pull the damn thing out. Sounds good in my head....

PLEASE let the water hoses be OK...

BTW new Drives are pretty
 
Have you tried a five pound slide hammer on the bearing?
 
Autozone has a free loaner tool program....get their slide hammer for gimbal bearing.
 
Quint4 said:
Autozone has a free loaner tool program....get their slide hammer for gimbal bearing.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:. I rented one (for free) for the same procedure!

I too had to use a lot of heat on my hinge pins when replacing the bellows. If I recall, there is locktite on those threads which usually makes heat required. It is scary though, but like your results, mine came out fine too.

Good luck!

Tom
 
Off today... it hasn't rained in like 3 weeks... and today its POURING.

If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck.

On a positive note, the existing bellows are in excellent condition. There were pieces of a seal in the bellows, I assume thats what went bad and caused the oil to get in there.

Should I use gasket sealant on the large ready made gasket that fits between the drive and bell housing? Or just clean the area and put it on?

Thanks!
 
chandalen said:
Should I use gasket sealant on the large ready made gasket that fits between the drive and bell housing? Or just clean the area and put it on?
Click to expand...

No sealant is necessary! Just make sure you remove all the old gasket material. Sounds like you are on the home stretch...
 
STATUS....

totally soaked now, it stopped raining so I took advantage of that and daughter and I ran out to install upper unit on port engine. Stupid gaskets kept getting pinched (the big upper one). FINALLY got it all in up to 1/2 inch from perfect. No pushing or prodding would get it in.. SO... I put all 6 nuts on and slowly tightened the 4 on the corners. The unit slid it with a little 'pop' and sealed perfectly.

I ASSUME this was because of the new O rings needing to be compressed a bit. Correct?

Also, the sift lever on the lower unit is not installing straight forward its cocked to the 1 o'clock position. Will this be a problem, and how to correct if it is?

BTW... make sure to pick up stray (old) o-rings, I found a water line O ring on the ground, and with my problems of it just falling off during install I played it safe, cracked the drive back a bit to verify O ring was actually there. (it was)

My solution to it falling off was a little spline lube... that stuff is like baby poop and sticks to EVERYTHING.

So due to weather, I have new bellows on one drive other was perfect, ((left the gimbal rings as 2 shops said they were both good), and a new upper unit on port engine. And a pile of wet clothes from myself and the daughter.
 
Lesson learned...

The SEI drive seems to be heavier than a mercruiser.. With my Alpha 1's, when I redid the water impellers I left the upper unit on and slid lower off. Putting the lowers back on was not too difficult.

SEI Drives seem to be about 15 lb heavier each unit. Needless to say it was more difficult to install the lower to the upper on the boat.

With the second drive, I fully assembled it off the boat, and will make a small stand to assist with installing it to the boat today.

HOPEFULLY in the water tomorrow.

I have to use my bilge monkey to crawl in so I can replace the anode bolt that broke off.

PLEASE NO RAIN....
 
COMPLETE!

Another note to self, the anode hex bolt for the fin anode needs to be installed PRIOR to mating the upper and lower. Fortunately I caught the error prior to filling them up with lube.

Going to splash it tomorrow!!! Hopefully all goes well.
 
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