Mercruiser Sticking or Stuck Outdrive

Ironically I am amazed as to the longevity of some devices. One that always comes to mind is that I have seen and worked on outdrives that have survived 10 plus years of neglect. No pump replacement, no alignment, no removal of the drive and greasing of the U-Joints, damaged skegs & props all are astonishing that the drive and or engines have managed to survive another season. This in itself is a testament to Mercruiser commitment to quality and engineering. However this obviously does manage to come to a major problem when something does go wrong, and generally the help of someone like myself and or a seasoned marine mechanic to rectify.  All of this could have been avoided with some simple maintenance that anyone can accomplish and if not at least have it done by a qualified marine mechanic.

Old Grease is bad grease! Many people experience a hard time when pulling, installing or aligning a drive due to grease that has accumulated and hardened due to lack of service. In the worst case the lack of the same can freeze a shaft to an engine coupling, gimbal bearing and prop shaft as if it were welded and for the most part via corrosion it has. Thus it is important not only to keep these parts properly lubricated with the right lubrication as it is to clean the surfaces before doing so. In many cases the mistaken understanding that the drive or alignment tool is having a hard time entering the engine coupler is related to an alignment problem in many cases is due to the coupler having dried and or sticky grease within itself. Since I pull my drive every season and service the same, my lubrication is still doing its job and staying soft and manageable and even though the lubrication is still good, I do in fact clean the gimbal bearing and engine coupler thoroughly before re-lubrication and assembly. For the most part if the material is soft and pliable this can be as easily accomplished by a soft rag and in the case of the engine coupler a soft rag on a long wooden dowel. Never use metallic devices to poke into the coupler like screw drivers and such that can and will damage the splines. Once I am satisfied, I grease the drive shaft and its spines liberally, u-joints, gimbal bearing surface and grease fitting, then install the drive as per all other factors. In some cases I have seen them owners back to the dealer for coverage services.

 

Don’t be misinformed, or miss out on opportunity. In all cases when the splines are cleaned and lubricated, your alignment tool should easily engage fully into the coupler with the force of your fingers and easily pull out. Never should it require forcing by hammering, placing your feet on the tool or any other means beyond simple use of your hands. I like to see an alignment tool enter in by pushing on two or three fingers and pulling out with one hand. Over and over I see guys slamming there drives into place which only tells me that beyond the obvious "No Brains" that the drive is out of alignment, damaged splines, lack of lubrication, or the grease has dried out.

In the event that the grease has hardened, in the case of external splines, you can use a rag with a small amount of mineral spirits to clean the surfaces. For the internal surfaces i.e. gimbal bearing, engine coupler etc.  It is important that you do not introduce solvents, like mineral spirits that can migrate into the bearing surface and dilute any remaining lubrication, thus causing a major breakdown. This is better accomplished with a shotgun cleaning rod, 10 Gauge Brass Core with Bronze Bristles that will not scratch the surfaces, cleaning pads & Mop. For the engine coupler, I use light oil on a pad “WD40”, rub it into the surfaces and wait an hour and then brush out the surfaces wiping them out in between brushing.  Keep in mind if the surface is really bad you will find yourself repeating the steps several times before having a really clean bore. Then and only then do I place grease on my alignment tool and check the same.

 

  Oversized 10 Ga. Brush & Mop Courtesy of Pro-Shot Products