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280 unpleasant surprise in bellows

sandkicker

sandkicker

Outstanding Contributor
For a number of reasons, I've been absent from this forum for some time, hopefully will be back as a contributor soon, but in the meantime...

Yesterday, I decided that it was bellows replacement time. Current one still OK but surface starting to degrade. Much to my surprise, when I loosened the band clamp on the drive end of the bellows, oil dripped out. When I pulled the transmission fully off, about a pint of oil was in the bellows. Several seasons ago I'd let the yard "service" my drive and they overfilled it. (" You always fill to the bottom edge of the fill hole", they said!") It ran that way for a couple of hours before I found out ( from bill for all the oil they charged me for!) and was able to get the level down. That said, it appears as if I have a seal problem. I looked at the breakdown and it looks as if I have to take the whole tranny down to get at this seal. Say this isn't so!
 
Bob, the oil can be coming from one place only..... the main drive gear seal.

If the shop installed heavy gear oil, instead of the recommended 30W engine oil (or 40W for warm waters), then the slinger pump may have become stripped of it's drive pins.
If the slinger pump fails, no transfer of lower oil to the transmission occurs.
This may cause a transmission temperature increase, which may cause excessive internal pressure.

They should all know what oil to install in a single prop 280 drive. And they should all know how to use the dip stick. :mad: :mad: :mad:

I would keep the oil in the event that they installed the wrong gear oil type.
If so, the lower unit prop shaft will need to be removed so that the pump impeller drive pins can be repaired.

Bob..... just an FYI in case you are not comfortable with your local V/P shop.

These transmissions can be shipped in a USPS flat rate box for around $18. People ship these to me for this type of work.
The lower units are a bit more costly to ship.
If you can pull the prop shaft and bearing carrier, the carrier and shaft alone will ship in the flat rate box.
I can repair the slinger pump, and re-seal the prop shaft as well.
You would simply re-install it with new O-rings.
No shim value change occurs.

If you do use your local shop, feel free to bounce their prices or estimated shop time off of me.
These shops generally want to charge too much for the AQ series drive work.
The AQ series are among the easiest drives to work on.... but you need to have the AQ experience.
The old guys have long since retired, and the young guys don't want to work on them.
I'm one of the old guys! :D

.
 
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Do you leave your drive in the UP position for long periods? I have found this will cause some oil to leak by the seal and into the bellows. Always store the drive down if possible, helps the bellows also. I'm an "old guy" also. Rick, we must be some of the oldest members of the AQ series mechs left!!!
 
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The oil was the proper oil, on the overfill, i.e. 40W. I've since changed the oil several times (every fall) except for last fall thanks to Sandy. The drive is never in the up position other than for transit times during haulout. These last few seasons, the boat has been blocked lower than I'd like and the drive usually spends the winter at about a 10 to 15 degree angle up from straight down.
 
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