Question on port engine mount and coupler on a 220 Sundeck with a 6.2 bravo III

[scott's220]

So I just bought this bought, great shape and only 120 hours on motor on this 2003 sundeck 220. So I take boat to my local Marine Max here in MN to get everything checked over. I get a call from the service guy saying the bolt that hold the engine mount on the port side broke and came out of adjustment and now the coupler is damaged and needs to be replaced and realligned. $1350.00 dollars this will cost. Does this sound right or has anyone else ran into this. I was told they will replace the aluminum coupler with a steel one since they last a lot longer. The strange thing is, they say they cannot show me what is wrong with the coupler.

Any comments here or what I should ask? Thanks for your comments.:huh:

 

[Presentation]

The strange thing is, they say they cannot show me what is wrong with the coupler.

Can not show you? What????????????

I can tell you how to find out yourself.

Is the outdrive still off? If the drive was not removed then I call BS on them knowing the coupler is bad.

OK, lets assume the drive is off.


Take a flash light and look in the hole in the back of the boat.

That round thing in the middle full of grease with a bunch of teeth is the engine coupler.
Look at the teeth. How are the corners of the teeth in the hole?

Sharp straight edges = good coupler.
Ground, rounded off edges = bad coupler.

With the drive reinstalled the teeth should fit together like this….but you can not see it installed.

If bad, the engine must be pulled to replace the coupler, about $1,000’ish in labor.

The coupler, I don’t agree with converting to stainless. Just my opinion. Put the factory spec item back in. You can buy aluminum couplers on e-bay for under $100.

You did not have a survey, did you? Now I am wondering if this is bad, how is the gimbal ring?



An option is to fix the engine mount, do the alignment then run til failure. Just something to consider. I would not give this advice about a gimbal. If that breaks the drive can fall off and you can sink. If a coupler goes you just get towed in and you are on an inland waterway. A bad looking coupler can fail the next time out or go for years.

A failure of a coupler does not make other parts fail. So again, there is less logic to doing a preventative coupler swap. If you can still shove the alignment tool in the coupler and you are outside of warrantee and run inland lakes consider fixing the engine mount, do a engine alignment and keep boating.

 

[scott's220]

Thanks Presentation for the info. They said they had to pull the motor. They said the stainless steel coupler will last a lot longer than the factory steel one. That is why they recommendid the steel one. They also recommended the stainless steel coupler due to the Bravo III drives being harder and having more torque than say the alpha drive.

I do believe they have the drive off. I am going there in the morning and I will ask if it is still off and if it is, I will ask them if I can see it and I will look.

Thanks again

 

[Presentation]

Thanks Presentation for the info.

You are welcome.

They said they had to pull the motor.

If you decide to change the engine coupler, yes, the motor must be pulled.

They said the stainless steel coupler will last a lot longer than the factory steel one. That is why they recommendid the steel one. They also recommended the stainless steel coupler due to the Bravo III drives being harder and having more torque than say the alpha drive.

I do not argue with their points. I will add this. Both the stainless coupler or the aluminum coupler will fail if the engine is not aligned or if you do not grease them. The Mercury recommended grease service interval is the same for both. You may have a boat that you can grease without pulling the drive. We can discuss this further if you wish and you feel you may become a do it yourself maintenance person. My boat I can not grease the coupler with out pulling the drive.

The guy who invented this darn thing when he worked for Mercury Marine now owns a marina in Oshkosh called Sweetwater Performance Center Marina. The stainless engine coupler was not intended to be something that would not need a engine alignment or allow you to skip greasing. It was designed to take the extremely frequent shifting of the axius system. Your boat does not have the axius system.

Please do not think for a moment that if you had a stainless steel engine coupler and you had this alignment issue that you would not need a new engine coupler.
About then only case that can be made for a stainless steel engine coupler in a Bravo drive boat that does not have axius is if the boat is used for extended trolling.


If you decide to go with a new coupler and you want the stainless steel one then it will not hurt anything.

I do believe they have the drive off. I am going there in the morning and I will ask if it is still off and if it is, I will ask them if I can see it and I will look.

That sounds like a good plan.