Transom Housing needs replace

Ian

Mine was like that before I did the pin and gimbal ring. 

Dream_Inn

Hmmm, that does seem to be at least twice as much as normal, if not more.  Something to at least watch.

onislandtime

@Dream_Inn How do I watch it when it will be under water lol

Dream_Inn

onislandtime said:

@Dream_Inn How do I watch it when it will be under water lol

Very true!   I look at mine every now and then, but it's pretty easy on a lift.

rasbury

That would look normal to me....slop is in the steering somewhere, not the steering pin...

reneechris14

Is the pin it self moving when you move the drive. Lift up on the drive to see if there is play at the pin. Tried to zoom on the video to see the pin no luck.

Ian

Have a buddy help and have him look at the steering arm where it comes into the engine room and connects to the steering gear. If you move it side to side and arm doesn’t move then it’s the pin and ring. If ithe arm moves with it, as @rasbury said, look for slop elsewhere like in cables etc.

randy56

I guess the other outdrive was ok? Have to agree with looking inside. 

onislandtime

@reneechris14 @icoultha Thanks for the trouble shooting tips. From center position the drive will only move to the right.

@randy56 The port drive seems to have the same play and again from center position and to the right. Neither drive will move to the left from center position.

https://youtu.be/sRHp8dT7vXY

Ian

If not done before I'd nearly bet the left one that it's pin and ring.  Key will be to see if the arm above moves like that too.

onislandtime

@icoultha to replace pin and ring, is this a total transom Assys replacement? And again is this a "extreme hazard" not to have it done immediatly? Trying to educate myself for when I get another mechanics opinion for repair/fix.

rasbury

The pin ends both top and bottom go into the gimbal ring. They have brass bearings pushed in there so the wear would be between the pin and the bearing- not the ring. This would not be need for replacement of the whole asy unless the bearing had worn and pin ate into the ring IMO. That being said, there is a lot of corrosion visible and my experience with out drives has not involved any corrosion so I can't comment further but I have seen some pretty nasty looking out drives and told they are fine....there are two methods as I understand which one is to cut open the transom plate(?) to pull the steering pin and do the seal. Otherwise you would have to pull the motor to get to it. Guess there are varying opinions on whether the first method is the way to go. If it were worn to the point of needing replacement, I would think also it would be leaking...do you have any water leaking in from that area or anywhere else for that matter?

ruggerole

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/mercury_marine_parts/sn/ol794086

skennelly

The ring definitively can be damaged.  The square get's rounded out from excessive play.  Stole pic from another form post.

Ian

I agree, it's the alloy of the ring that wears , it's not a brass bushing. @onislandtime it is a pin and ring replacement, some rings can be be rebuilt, mine couldn't when I sent it so bought a new one as well as SS pin. 3 options: engine out and replace, use the Mercury method of 2 holes either side of transom housing to remove the nuts and replace or the JR Marine method to cut the face of the transom housing to access nuts. I used the Merc method, either way is a PITA but I did it myself and so saved some money.

onislandtime

@rasbury @icoultha Awesome explanation. I now have a great understanding of what is going on. This will be very helpful when getting another opinion on the repair. Is there a way to look and see the wear on the ring and the pin or its symptoms the mechanic relys on?

Obviously, the shop that recommeneded this repair is opting for the most revenue for the shop (more labor revenue to remove engines)!

Ian

Welcome. As mentioned above check for steering arm movement with drive movement. If drive moves but arm doesn't sure fire bet its the pin/ring. Unfortunately only absolutely confirmed once removed

onislandtime

@skennelly thanks for the pic so I can visualize. 

ruggerole

onislandtime said:

@rasbury @icoultha Awesome explanation. I now have a great understanding of what is going on. This will be very helpful when getting another opinion on the repair. Is there a way to look and see the wear on the ring and the pin or its symptoms the mechanic relys on?

Obviously, the shop that recommeneded this repair is opting for the most revenue for the shop (more labor revenue to remove engines)!

@onislandtime. I had option #1 (engine removal). it only cost me about $1600. 5.4L/Bravo 3

rasbury

Is it not also fare to say that if the steering pin is bad then the seal would be leaking water? Is there water leaking in from that area onislandtime? If the seal is bad (pin will crode and the ruff surface will destroy the seal) it will leak a little, if the pin is so bad that the drive is slapping around, I would think it would leak a LOT of water.  Also, I love the name of your boat and probably will steal it.

Ian

Hey @rasbury that is possible I assume but wasn’t on mine, in just had movement like @onislandtime and no leaks and in fact was puzzled about how this sealed until I dug into the transom drawing to see the seal that’s not on the ring drawing. The square part the ring hangs onto is below where the pin goes into the transom assembly; the upper round part of the pin is where the oil seal is (as the manual refers to it) that the steering arm is attached to. So if your seal is good no leaks while the ring gets gouged out by the square part of the pin resulting in the drive movement. 

Ian

rasbury said

Also, I love the name of your boat and probably will steal it.

Which name?

LaRea

onislandtime said:

And again is this a "extreme hazard" not to have it done immediatly? 

Yes, it can be dangerous.  

During the time when I was postponing this repair on my 342, I put the boat into a medium-hard turn at 30 mph, expecting that it would bank nicely into a comfortable turn.  Instead, something about the play in the one drive made the boat stay flat and make a tighter turn.  That doesn't sound scary, but my passengers and their belongings all went flying across the boat.  It could easily have caused injuries or worse because it was so unexpected. 

Don't postpone it.  

rasbury

On island time...I really like that name...have not named our boat nor was it previously named, it needs one...beeides money pit as the admiral refers to it!
I would sure somehow get a second opinion on the repair...

MiamiAG

Just chiming in with my experience on something similar. Mine was leaking and I had to replace the entire transom housing/gimbal ring. Cost was $8,200. Mine had corroded causing a leak.

raybo3

OK time to share my experience. The first housing bracket on my boat cause some major transom fiberglass damage. New transom housing and bracket, new B3 drive, fiberglass repair...........................$27K. A year later the second one went and that one was just about $8K........... 

GMSLITHO

I used the JR marine method