TOPIC: I hate stern drives! (Question)

I'm an inboard guy...flatheads, V8s, whatever, but I only know enough about
outdrives to know that I hate them. Only an idiot would design a propulsion system that required two 90-degree angles.

OK...I have a 1988 Mercruiser Alpha One stern drive. When running on the trailer with a hose/mouse ears, some of the exhaust and just about all of the water blasts out two 1" holes that are located low on the gimbal housing. I pulled the outdrive (6 bolts) and looked at everything. The bellows is new and attached properly, all the gaskets and seals are (were) in place, etc. I can find nothing wrong. I was under the impression that the water and exhaust were supposed to exit at the prop. So...is this normal? If not, what's the problem?

I have a some free time and a baseball bat. Where do I find the idiot who invented stern drives?

Those are relief ports. Early MerCruisers didn't have them. I believe that their primary purpose is to reduce exhaust back pressure at idle when the boat is sitting deep in the water.

Thanks a bunch! In that case, I guess we're good to go.

Charlie Strang is generally acknowledged as the engineer who came up with the original design in the 50's. He's still alive in his 90's and worked at both Mercury, then in 1968, switched to OMC and retired as the OMC CEO in 1990.

That said, I will never own anything but an outboard boat.