Outdrive stuck!

[dwcrabs]

After winterizing my alpha one this year I attempted to put the outdrive down and it would not move. I can hear the motor running but it is stuck in the up position, also the fluid reservoir is full. Is this a common problem for this motor and how can I fix this.

[CigaretteDesign]

Take it to a Marine Mechanic. They'll fix it for you. Is an alpha a go fast boat?

[Kay9]

Make sure you have release the lowerunit locks on both sides.

[marshmat]

dwcrabs,

Provided that the drive is not locked as Kay9 suggests you check, I can think of a few possibilities.

I presume when you say you can hear the motor running, that you are talking about the electric motor that drives the trim pump, and not the main engine? Few outdrives take kindly to being run in the fully-tilted-up position as this puts a lot of unusual stresses on the universal joints and adjacent bearings.

Trim cylinders do seize on occasion. They're not especially complex to replace, but they're not cheap- a feasible DIY job if you also consider rebuilding a carb or replacing a timing belt to be a DIY job, otherwise you might be better off leaving it to a mechanic. A less likely possibility is that there is a problem in a hydraulic fitting or valve. The other thing I can think of would be, if it's an older drive and has been sitting unused for a while, that the gimbal unit may have corrosion-welded itself solid (ie, it may have rusted so much it can't pivot freely). If that unlikely possibility is true, the whole leg has to be pulled and things get expensive. But my guess is, if it's not locked, that one of the trim rams is simply seized up.

[buckknekkid]

have you greased anything lately,,

[Frosty]

Assuming that you have removed locks, chocks wooden blocks etc!!!!!Try standing on it as you push the down button. If it still wont go, undo the hydraulic pipes and stand on it again. Be carefull oil will shoot every where. If it still wont go undo the hydraulic rams, but be carefull it will drop down and can be heavy.

Re attach the hydralic lines to the rams and see if the work unloaded.

Come back after that.

[Benners36]

I know it's been a month, but I'm just curious, is it gear driven or hydraulic? Our older OMC outdrive gets stuck in the up position, (it's gear driven), but the problem is it gets too close to the top of the gear, and won't drop for anything. 15 minute and 50 cent fix, email if interested.