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Drive Lube Monitor- Leak from hose in sterndrive 2015 Bravo 3 question

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pvtser

New member
Hi All.....I have a 2015 Monterey 268 SSC with a 350 Bravo 3. The gear lube monitor was empty after recently de-winterizing the boat and replacing the sterndrive lube. Saw dripping on the ground of drive lube oil. Looked up in the drive and found oil coming down the lube hose which goes from the transom to the outdrive. ( I think leaking out of the hose top and dribbling down) Now a couple of questions :
* There appears to be NO CLAMP on the hose up where it goes into the drive--Normal ?
*Is that fitting a brass barb or plastic ? Im afraid of breaking it off if I pull the hose off the fitting.
I was thinking about getting a LONG set of needle noise pliers and puling the hose off of the fitting...cutting a little bit of hose off and re-securing with some permatex and possibly using a small clamp or spring clamp. (The hose rides right next to the bellows but high enough so it should be ok).
I'd like to replace or repair the hose. If I had to I was thinking of trying to repair the hose with a barbed fitting and a couple of clamps, do you think that repair would holdup?
Looking for some advice...some sites people say they have just disabled the lube monitor and will fix during a time when the drive has to come off.

On another note my trim gauge didn't work...found a broken wire near the sensor. Im kind of dumbfounded that Mercruiser hasn't made any advances on having less mechanical parts which move throughout the drive. And its only a 2015 !
Thanks,
Art
 
Do not attempt to just pull the hose off, if your fitting is plastic you will break it.
Cut the hose first, remove the gimbal housing, remove the main bellows to get access to the gimbal
Using a razor knife cut the hose off the fitting, remove the hose from the gimbal , measure both halves and add 1- 1/2 inches. attach hose with TY-Wrap

Not so much the wire as its having 12v always there with the key on. There is a simple work around
to the problem . A minor rewire
 
Hi Bt Doctur...Thank you for the response. I guess the question is a 2015 Mercruiser using a barbed brass fitting or plastic. If plastic no way am i going to try. But shouldnt there be a wire tie or clamp ? I am 99% ready to drop her in the water. With this Covid thing here in NY the mechanics are so backed up I may never get it fixed before summer. Hence my post !
Tx
 
more likely its a leaking/split hose . I`ve replaced a few hoses ,nut a fun job but it`s a 7- 1/8 - 8 1/2 on the difficulty scale. The hardest thing is removing the old hose with out breaking the fitting if its plastic.
Now your into a 12 -1/2 to 15 job to even get to the E clip to remove the connector fitting to replace it.

All i`ve seen are TY-Wraps the plastic type
 
Bt...I was hoping you had a miracle cure. No way of cutting a piece of tubing in half...sliding up and over the existing tubing as a temp fix with glue and a wire tie ? I know..I know...mickey mouse repair. But I'm desperate at this point for a temp fix as mechanix are backed up. And after having 3 Mercruiser boats and many years of busted knuckles not into pulling apart the drive at my age :) Do you think I could disable the lube monitor ? The outdrive is full. Not sure if water would get into the outdrive. I would pull her out every month to check the outdrive oil I guess.
 
Only way I know of is to remove the drive and pull out the dribble valve, then remove the hose from the res bottle and plug that hose to keep the water out. The dribble valve simply pulls out of the housing. If you do it carefully you can reuse it , if not your north of $80
 
18920A1_1__36209.1534476752.jpg
 
Half hour job....X-acto knife tapped to a screw driver and slowly cut the old hose off the plastic fitting. Now cut it off the bell housing side.... Push a new hose on, cut to spec, with a little lube using a long pair of needle nose pliers. Use a radiused wire tie.... No clamp needed.

You can do this job with the drive in place.
 
Chris....THANK YOU ! I kept thinking there has got to be a way to replace that hose without pulling off the drive. I never knew about a radiused wire tie either ! Is the hose something you could get at a local auto parts store ? Would you know the size ?
THANK YOU AGAIN
Art
 
I was also looking at the Mercruiser parts diagram breakdown for a p/n. In the lube monitor diagram they show the upper reservoir and hose parts...but not the lower unit. Is the hose the same ?
 
If you are replacing the trim sender then you will be removing the drive from the gimbal ring. Don't do the hacks they show on YouTube those guys are dummies. You will need the special tool for the pivot bolts which is available from our hosts: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-9861
Also the tool that removes the water hose retainer: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-9844
The trim senders come in a kit so you replace both: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-7633 Be cautious removing the screws that hold them in place.
Also, as long as you are doing it, replace the fiber washers and get another bellows retaining ring.
The pivot bolts are held in with locktite so you will need a breaker bar or a pipe on the end of your rachet to get them out.
This video is the best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjEgR9msBk
 
Last edited:
o2batsea said:
If you are replacing the trim sender then you will be removing the drive from the gimbal ring. Don't do the hacks they show on YouTube those guys are dummies. You will need the special tool for the pivot bolts which is available from our hosts: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-9861
Also the tool that removes the water hose retainer: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-9844
The trim senders come in a kit so you replace both: http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-7633 Be cautious removing the screws that hold them in place.
Also, as long as you are doing it, replace the fiber washers and get another bellows retaining ring.
The pivot bolts are held in with locktite so you will need a breaker bar or a pipe on the end of your rachet to get them out.
This video is the best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjEgR9msBk
Click to expand...

He is changing the oil hose for the lube monitor....

I change trim senders and limits all the time with out pulling the drive.... Everything is accessible to factory install these parts.
If you have a JPS boat, the three wire sender fails constantly...
 
Oh well I read in the original post that he had a failed sender. Duh.

Chris how do you get to the retaining screw for the split seal on the wires where they pass through the transom? I had to take the effin thing apart cz I don't have tiny monkey hands. Sure the senders are easy to access but the wires whole 'nuther story.
 
o2batsea said:
Oh well I read in the original post that he had a failed sender. Duh.

Chris how do you get to the retaining screw for the split seal on the wires where they pass through the transom? I had to take the effin thing apart cz I don't have tiny monkey hands. Sure the senders are easy to access but the wires whole 'nuther story.
Click to expand...

You need a Snap-on 7/16 or 11mm Swivel socket in 1/4 drive (not a 1/4 swivel with a socket, a one piece swivel socket).... A 20" long 1/4 extension... I do it all the time.

I am 6'3" 290 lbs I do not have tiny monkey hands either....LOL
 
Guys....thank you all for the advice. Chris...I did exactly as you said with the exacto knife taped to a long skinny screwdriver. I cut a beer can in half and put next to the bellows while I was cutting just in case. Worked both fittings slowly until the hose fell off. There were no clamps on either side ?? Got a new hose and clamps from my mercruiser dealer BUT NOW...when I cleaned the plastic fitting the nipple was cracked. I now know why I was leaking from that fitting. UGHHHHHH I now have to replace that fitting. From what I can gather there is a clip inside the transom I have to remove in order to pull out the broken fitting and replace. ARE THERE ANY TRICKS OR ADVICE you can give me ??? Also...once installed do I install hose on the bell housing side first or the plastic fitting side ? Could I put the hose on the fitting before installing ? I am thinking to warm up the hose first....spray some silicone inside and then install.
Bt---I found a broken wire on my trim sender. I just repaired the wire.

I still dont understand how a heavy oil line monitor hose connected to a plastic fitting on a drive that turns back and forth is a good design...same with the trim sender wires ....FYI I did find an Italian company that makes a brass chrome fitting as a replacement. But cannot locate in USA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ9dVPosBOc

THANK YOU ALL !! Your input is REALLY appreciated
 
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