Short answer: Harbor Marine repairs sterndrives and outdrives for Cumming boat owners at our Buford shop: bellows, gimbal bearings, U-joints, gear housings, cables and props. Call (770) 967-8495.
Coves, points and shallow water
The Forsyth County side of Lake Lanier is full of long coves and points. When the lake drops, the shallow water near points and the backs of coves comes up, and the stumps left behind when the lake was filled can sit closer to the surface. A sterndrive hangs lower than anything else on the boat, so it usually finds those hazards first. Even a light bump can bend a prop or wear the gimbal bearing.
Signs your drive needs attention
- A clunk when shifting, or shifting that feels stiff.
- Grinding or rumbling that changes with speed or steering.
- New vibration at cruising speed.
- Water in the bilge that you cannot explain.
- Milky gear lube.
Boats that stay in the water
Many Cumming lakefront boats sit at the dock for months. The rubber bellows that seal the drive to the transom dry out and crack, anodes wear away, and the gimbal housing is exposed to corrosion. A torn bellows can let water reach the U-joints and gimbal bearing. An inspection once a year is the simplest way to catch it.
How the job works
- The boat comes to our shop at 6516 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.
- We pull the drive and inspect the bellows, gimbal bearing, U-joints and anodes.
- We check the gear lube and open the gear housing on the bench if needed.
- We explain what we found before replacing anything.
- Worn parts are replaced and the drive goes back with new seals and gaskets.
Getting the boat to Buford
Our shop sits across the south end of the lake from Cumming. If your boat is on a trailer, call ahead and drop it off. If it lives at a dock or in a slip, ask about boat transport in Cumming. Many owners time drive work for the fall, when the boat is coming out for winter anyway.
What affects a drive repair
Pricing is set when you call for a quote. These are the things that change the size of the job:
- An inspection, a bellows job or a gear rebuild.
- The drive model and parts.
- Whether the boat needs transport from Cumming.
- What we find once the drive is pulled.
Drive care for boats kept in the water
A boat that sits at a Forsyth dock all season keeps its drive in the water the whole time. That is easy on the owner, but hard on the anodes, bellows and paint. Growth can build up on the lower unit, and corrosion can start where paint is chipped. Tilting the drive up when the boat is tied up for long stretches helps, as long as the bellows are in good shape. A yearly inspection when the boat comes out is the best time to replace anodes and touch up paint.
U-joints and the gimbal bearing
Inside the bellows, U-joints and the gimbal bearing carry power from the engine to the drive. When they wear, you may hear a rumble or growl at low speed, or feel vibration. Water from a torn bellows makes them wear much faster. We check both when the drive is off.
Winter is a good time for drive work
Booking drive work over the winter, while the boat is out of the water, means it is done well before the spring rush.
Related and nearby
If a strike also marked the hull, see gel coat repair in Cumming. Engine due too? See engine repair in Cumming.
Boaters on the Forsyth side can also see sterndrive repair in Alpharetta or Suwanee, or on Lake Lanier for the whole lake. Owners near our shop can see Buford. Everything we do in town is on our Cumming boat repair page, and our main service page explains the process. Contact us anytime.