Stern drive possible leak

I just drained the oil from th

I just drained the oil from the stern drive when I removed the vent and then the bottom screw the liquid was grayish...does this mean that its letting in water somewhere???

What should I do..

Have the drive pressure tested

Have the drive pressure tested. This invloves adding 10-15psi thru the top plug. If the drive holds the pressure for half hour your good to go. If it does not hold the pressure you have a leaky seal.

Magnet covered? Depending on the amount of water the fluid wil be runny and thin. It will also be a grayish/whiteish color. Oil is heavier than water so the water will always stay on the bottom.

How long was the oil in the dr

How long was the oil in the drive? Discoloration could just mean dirty oil.

I always put a few ounces in a tall narrow glass when draining the oil. I let it sit and see if any water separates out of the oil. None so far.

"You don't say what model

"You don't say what model and year drive it is, but I am guessing that its not equipped with a remote lube oil monitor bottle.

The grayish color definitely sounds like water in the lube oil. The pressure testing that Ryan suggests is definitely the right idea. You may get lucky and have a leaky shift shaft seal. This is a common problem on Alpha II drives, and its easy to replace.

Once your sealed again, you should consider putting a lube oil monitor kit on. They are not expensive.

The great thing about them is that they keep a positive pressure inside the case relative to the water (the oil monitor is higher than the water hopefully)and a leaky seal will let oil out, but water wont get in.
Rod"

"Guy, the oil has been in ther

"Guy, the oil has been in there since last year I think.

Its a 1990 alpha one.... Although it had the grayish color it was really THICK


RYAN, what do you mean by Magnet covered?

thanks guys "

"The bottom drain screw has a

"The bottom drain screw has a magnetic tip about 1/8" long. What was attached to it? As long as it is just dark oily matter, micro fragments of metal and not shavings or chunks, the gears are ok.

Rod is probably right about moisture in the grayish thick oil. Have it pressure tested to see if it holds pressure. If it does hold, then the oil was just good and dirty. A slight drop in pressure means a seal is leaking and needs fixed. Put the oil reservior on as Rod said. I bought one on eBay for $50 and will install it over the winter--very simple to do."

"The 1990 was the last year of

"The 1990 was the last year of the Alpha 1 and did not have the lube oil monitor standard. You can easily retrofit it though, like Guy says.

Don't be fooled by the fact the oil seems thick. Surprisingly, water emulsified in oil causes the overall viscosity to INCREASE; ie it seems to get thicker (at least up to about 70% water content).

The bad news is that water has poor lubricity, and it does not take many hours of hard use with water in the oil before the gears and bearings are shot. Don't take a chance; change the oil and pressure test the drive. Fix any leaky seals. It will be much cheaper now than later.

Rod"