New update 2 for 5-09-05

I found a set of standard & metric Torx Sockets that I can borrow.

 

Cool man, sounds like your on your way. Since your buddy has an alighnment tool, im guessing hes done it before. Just a tip to help with it...load the end of the tool up with grease and smooth it out real nice all the way around it, kinda like smooth icing on a cake. Then when you put it, dont wiggle it around, just put it straight in and pull it straight out. Look at the way the grease is smeared on the end of the tool. If its smeared a lot on the bottom and none on the top, well then the motor has to go down. Keep doing it until the grease is smeared evenly around the tool. Just make sure you add more grease and smooth it out each time you put it in. Like I said, im sure your buddy knows this, but im bored and figured id give you a little tip, just in case. One other thing, be patient with the bellows. they can be a real PITA sometimes to get on and make stay on. Use the Merc bellows adhesive and make sure you let it sit and cure for however long it says before you put the bellow on. Ive seen sto many guys try to rush that job, and have more problems than if they would just do it right the first time. Well enough babblin outta me for one night. Good luck with the rest of the job, and let me know if you need any help with anything.

BREW

 

LOL, no problem, those are kinda annoying.

 

Good tips... Thanks.
I will make sure to do the bellows as soon as I get home from buying the parts on Thursday. That will give them 24 hours or so to cure. The guy coming to help me installs the I/O's at a local boat factory. Hopefully he won't point out to many of my mistakes.
Glad he will know how to use that tool because I'm lost now... LOL
Took me a little longer to unhook everything this evening than I had planned for it to. But I took the time to put all the hardware in baggies and label where they came from. Plus label all the wires and where they came from. Even if I thought that I know where they go, I didn't take any chances.

ANY tips that you might think of, "even if you think it might be common sense". Go ahead and type them up please. I don't want to accidentaly get in a hurry and over look anything or simply not think of something to look at.

I found a Mercruiser I/O manual at the library so I am going to get it tomarrow and study it before I start putting it back together. Hopefully it gives tips like a Haynes or Chiltons manual does.

 

 

If its a real Mercruiser manual, dont go looking for tips. Those are made for guys in the business with experience. Not that it wont help you, because they are pretty good for the most part. Im just saying, they dont have the little tips that the aftermarket manuals give you. I cant think of anything else to point out right now. It seems like your on the right track and should have it up and running soon.

Well I do have one tip....If, when your all done, you have any little baggies full of parts left over, you might want to give it one more look before you put it in the lake and start it up

 

ENGINE IS OUT!!!
Unfourtunatly that was the easy part... LOL

I went to borrow the Torx Socket set, but it was the Torx studs in sockets to use in a ratchet. I need an actual Torx Socket for this one single pezky bell housing bolt. Once I get that bolt out them I can get to the coupler and then go get a new one along with the other parts. Pretty much still on schedule except I was hoping to have the bell housing off and the coupler in my hand. I will have by tomarrow evening!
Even if I can't find the socket that I need to borrow or buy. Then I will put Vise grips on it "because I'm not putting that same bolt in anyway". If that doesn't work.. Then I will drill the SOB with a smaller bit from the thread side. Maybe the drill bit will back it out and if that don't work... Then I will drill the whole bolt out and retap the hole. Unfortunatly drilling it will be a job, because I'm guessing it to be a grade 5 or greater bolt and all I have is cheap discount drill bits. But I do have more than 3 of each size of each of them.

Edited to add

WHAT??? I always have bonus parts and fasteners... Is that not normal? LOL
I've always said that if I take something apart and put it back together enough times then I will have two of them.

 

Time for the daily evening progress report...

Well I got the Engine Coupler off finally, took me two trips to town to buy the right Torx Socket. Everybody was closed by the time I got it off. So I will call in the morning to find the lowest price.
I started to remove the Bellows and Water hose from the gimbel to the drive. Yea THAT's a P.I.T.B. Looked in the manual and found out how to take the Outer side of the gimbel off. Only two allen screws it says... Yea right! I have an allen wrench that did fit, BUT it is a sereated wrench instead.. "I don't have one of those." ARRRG.. I guess I will by tomarrow.

Engine, bellows, hoses all should be in by tomarrow night.
Still on schedule!
After alignment is checked friday, then lower unit will go back on and it will be back on the water...

 

excellent job my friend. I knw how frustrating it can be. But just thin k how much you'll enjoy it knowing you saved all that money on labor and you did it yourself. One tip..after the drive goes on, hook up the garden hose and fire it up. Check the shifting and make sure it goes in and out of gear. Also make sure the prop is spinning the right way when in fwd and reverse. You dont want to find out its messed up right after you launch it at the lake. Again, good luck with the rest of the job, and feel free if you have any questions. Im good with that stuff, my buddy up in Conn. actually hit me on my nextel tonight to walk him thru pulling his merc drive off and putting it back on.

 

Good Idea...
I never thought about the prop spinning the wrong way... If it can be done then that is definatly something I could accidently do.
I'm hoping Terry will stick around long enough after aligning it to help me put the drive back on and insure that the shifter is hooked up right and everything.

 

honestly, it would be pretty hard to hook it up so the prop is spinning the wrong way althought it can be done. However what happens all the time, is that it will be hooked up in the wrong gear, like if someone messed with th drive when it was off and put it in a diff gear. What happens is you might get fwd and neutral, but you wont be able to get reverse. Or just the oposit and you'll get rev and neutral but no fwd. Trust me, I see it all the time.

Oh yeh.....just save that little baggy of extra parts your gonna have left over...you'll need 'em soon

 

Captains log,
Thursday May Twelfth in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Five.
We are behind schedule.. Crew sat idle all morning and part of the afternoon waiting on captain to find parts and proper tools. Captain arrived back at the ship with supplies and began reassmbeling with the new parts. Bellows & water line were much more difficult to remove than expected. But finally prevailed after couple hours and lots of bad language mumbled under captains breath. Everything is ready to reinstall engine now. Except, while getting the shift assembly positioned inside the ship, the captain busted the hyrdaulic trim line. Must be repaired before engine will be dropped back in, since the break is right behind the engine. Everyone is closed so work is at a stand still for tonight.
Tomarrows agenda "weather permitting" I hope to

1. Repair hydraulic line
2. Install engine
3. Get engine hooked up
4. Get engine alignment checked
5. Install U-joint bellow
6. Install trim head housing
7. Install Lower Unit
8. put on water muffs, garden hose, and fire it up...

Only thing that I was not able to do was purchase a trim sending unit and limiter kit. I Started to until I found out the price was $112 for the kit. It runs with out them...

Storms are scheduled this evening and appear to be moving in. Hopefully they will be done and gone by tomarrow morning.

 

$112...WOW, whats the part number?? seems kinda high.

 

Thats what I thought too. I'm going to call around in the morning and see if I can find it cheaper some where else. I don't know the part number.. It is a Mercruiser 888 Stern Drive unit. If that helps...
This kit did contain both the limiter, and the sending unit plus some wire for them w/ instructions. But still don't think it's worth $112

 

Ill check it out tomorrow. Ill let you know if thats a real price or if there trying to rape you.