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Volvo penta outdrive draining under water options?

A

Apleskot

New member
Need some help . I have a houseboat with volvo penta 275 or possibly volvo 280 outdrive that i owned for 2 years and it needs oil change badly as it's milky. Boat stays in the water at all time and I have no option of pulling it out . I Try to suck it out through dipstick hole but that can't get stuff from the bottom . I'm looking for a fitting or a hose that I can screw in to the drain and pump slush fill with a vacume pump. Would any one have a part number for something like that? Or know what I need? Size of a hole / thread pitch? I'm scared of driving this thing now as I believe that previous owner may never actually changed it before as there is no possibility from top.
Thanks.
 
Milky oil in drive means bad seal(s)... Changing oil without fixing seal(s) is futile. If you are lucky, it's the shifter shaft seal. The other seals require special tools.

On second thought... how did you manage to check oil level without water getting in drive? Usually the dip stick is almost underwater when the boat is at rest.
 
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Apleskot said:
With leg tilted I and dipstick out of water I put a tube in to seal threads. Then use proportnaly longer dipstick
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... The Only way to drain an outdrive is through the bottom plug,.....
There is no clear path from the top plug, to the bottom,....

If yer talkin' 'bout the motor, it'd be nice to know which one,.....
 
I'm fully aware of that. I'm looking for a fitting that I can screw in to drain hole that I can attach hose to and suck oil out.
 
https://www.westmarine.com/sierra-18-9781-lower-unit-gear-lube-pump-10476653.html

Remove included pump to drain... reattach pump and remove dip stick ( as air vent) to refill.
A pressure check, at a minimum, is appropriate... among bad seals to check are the ones on the drain plug and dip stick. Factory recommends replacement after every use for drain. If oil is milky you will need to change oil several times to flush all crappy oil out,
 
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Regardless what you do, you’ll still be driving a grenade waiting to happen. Find a trailer, roll-back, or a lift to get it out of the water. As said, something leaked water, and leaks rarely if ever improve. Do it right or live with the stress. Anything less will probably create a mess, not to mention a p-poor outcome … :rolleyes:
 
Curmudgeon said:
Regardless what you do, you’ll still be driving a grenade waiting to happen. Find a trailer, roll-back, or a lift to get it out of the water. As said, something leaked water, and leaks rarely if ever improve. Do it right or live with the stress. Anything less will probably create a mess, not to mention a p-poor outcome … :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Volvo seals are inexpensive... internal parts not. There are only 4 or 5 ( depending on model) seals at issue. 2 or 3 (depending) need no tools other than a screwdriver or wrenches to replace. The only one that needs any "tools" is the shaft seal on the prop shaft. A leak on the drive input shaft results in oil in the bellows, not water in the drive... unless the drive shaft bellows is torn.
See Shop Manual for replacement of the prop shaft ( or drive shaft) seal.
 
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