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Mercruiser 5.0ltr sudden loss of propulsion

D

Dooges

New member
Hi all,

On the weekend, I was travelling at around 35 knots on an open lake with of Sydney, Australia when I lost all propulsion. Very calm waters, no one else in the lake, great day to be out. I have a 2004 215 Bayliner Classic.

The engine revs well, can shift into forward and reverse without problems but there is simply no propulsion from the revs to the propeller. It may as well be in neutral in either forward or reverse gears.

There was no loud or audible noise heard when this happened and the engine idles just fine.

I've noticed there is no oil in the gear oil monitor tank today and will drain the lower unit tomorrow to check if for some reason there is no oil in there too. I hope there is. I've bought new oil, seals and oil pump to change the oil.

Could having no oil in the lower unit cause the lack of propulsion? Where could the leak have happened while driving?

What else could it be?

Many thanks for you kind words and support if you have anything to share that might help.
 
Ayuh,..... If the oil is low, the top gear set is dry, which will grind 'em to dust in on time,....

There are several seals in the drive, All of 'em will be suspect,....
 
bondo said:
Ayuh,..... If the oil is low, the top gear set is dry, which will grind 'em to dust in on time,....

There are several seals in the drive, All of 'em will be suspect,....
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Thanks for replying. I hope it's not the case but if you're right, the reason my propeller isn't engaging is because my gears have no teeth on them now, I'm up for a whole new set of gears so you think?
 
bondo said:
Ayuh,..... Way cheaper, 'n quicker to buy an SEI replacement drive,.....
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Thanks mate. The marine mechanic gave me some time today to talk about the issue. It's possibly the lower gear shift cable that has broken, hence no engagement of the gears. I drained the oil this morning and it has about 1litre in it which I was pleased about but obviously way less than required, half in fact. The oil was black, thick but had no visible signs of metal filings. The sump plug had filings on it though, which I was suspecting.

I changed the oil and filled it to its manufacturers specifications.

Yes, getting a whole new unit is probably the smart play here but if it's simply the lower gear shift cable, it could be with investigating.

Thanks for getting back to me mate. It's great to bounce information off people who are much smarter than me!
 
That sounds ominous. I have the sinking feeling that your drive went out. It isn't cost effective to repair if the gears are gone. Try finding good used or replace with remanufactured. At least the engine is OK, but suspicious that you haven't been checking the drive oil leads me to think you haven't been keeping up on the preventive maintenance. Before plunking it back in the wet, be sure that your fluids are fresh. Even in Oz with the nice weather, you need to do frequent oil changes on the engine.
 
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