Mercury Marine's Alpha Generation Two Sterndrive
has proven to be an excellent drive system.
It's different from the older Alpha One in several ways.
Most noticable is the sleeker housing design.
The upper and lower housings are "through bolted" together
while the older Alpha One used studs.
With the lower removed from the upper... the newer water pump
housing can be seen. It's the Stainless Steel housing type
water pump that uses the minimum maintenance large vane impeller.
The Generation Two drive will NOT bolt up to an Alpha One transom!
The bolt patterns are different as are the shift shaft demensions.
The transom assembly for the Generation Two drive now incorporates
the oil resavour system. Most of the drive resavour tanks are
equipted with the low level alarm sensors.
Mercruiser has also changed the trim cylinders AND the attaching hardware.
Generation Two drives use white plastic bushings at the cylinder ends
instead of the older larger black rubber bushings of the Alpha One.
The cylinders are held on with washers and C-clips instead of the 7/16" Nuts.