Has anyone had this happen before?

[H. I. McDunnough]

Has anyone had this happen before?
I was gone for a week. When I came home, there was a small spot of gear lube on the concrete below my outboard. I traced the oil up the back of the skeg to between the gear housing and the prop. The gear oil was just like it came out of the tube; no water had leaked in when I ran it last. I wiped it up and let it sit over night. No more came out. I took it out and ran it the next day. It ran great. I let it sit over night, and still, no more leaked out. I opened the drain screw; no water, and still the oil was perfectly clean. I opened the fill screw and drained a little off. Everything looks good. I'm pretty confident that it has stopped.
Last week we had a stretch of 100+ temps. around here. Is it possible that the oil expanded and forced it's way out the lower seals?
I change my oil in Nov. or Dec. when it is just above freezing; that's quite a difference from 107 degs. I also have never drained out the ounce of oil, that the manual tells you to, to allow for expantion. I suppose that I had better from now on ( in the back of your mind, you always think that more is better).
Has anyone been through this, and has the leak come back?

 

[wynjim55]

Are you 100% sure it is gear oil? Could a blob of grease from the pivot points have dropped onto the concrete instead? Grease does become more liquid like at higher temperature. The blob may have been more grease-like on the outboard and then hitting heated concrete may have become more liquid-like?? Possibly??

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

100%; can't mistake that stuff.

 

[fastjeff]

I'll bet you a case of Merc 2 stroke oil that it's power head oil from the exhaust. Seen it a zillion times.

Jeff

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

Make it Quicksilver and you've got a bet.

 

[fastjeff]

You're on!

Jeff

 

[racerone]

There is always a lot of controversy on this " apparent leak "-------There is always a lot of speculation and guessing too.-----------Have the standard pressure tests done by a shop for a minimal fee and remove the doubt !!!------Testing is the way to go as always !

 

[fastjeff]

"One tests beats the opinions of a thousand engineers!" - Lee Iacocca

Jeff (former engineer and rocket scientist)

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

Unfortunately, I was right. When I drained the gear oil for the season, it was creamy.
Now, to do the job, I've got some questions.
Do I need a special tool to remove the cover nut, or can I tap it out with a hammer and screwdriver?
Is the bearing carrier the only part I have to remove?
Also, this spring when I replaced the water pump, there was a gasket for the bottom of the pump base in the kit, so I replaced it. When I pulled the base, I realized that I didn't have the base o-ring or the oil seals. They looked good, so I put it back together. Could the water be entering there?

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

I got the cover nut and tab washer off (easy). I didn't do a pressure test (probibly no point now), but if I put just a little pressure on the oil seal with a screwdriver I can see oil.
I see from my manual that the seals come out the aft. Can they be picked out, or is that a bad idea?

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

Merry Christmas!
I watched the videos. I am going to make up a testing hose like that, but I'm not sure I want to go that route to get the seals out. It looks scarey drilling around the shaft and toward the bearings, and he showed how tough it would be to pry them out. My gear housing is pretty clean. I'm thinking that it may be easier to pull the bearing carrier. I think I could drill a hole in a block of wood for the prop shaft, put the nut on, and tap out the whole ass'y. What do you think of that? I am going to do the pressure test first, though. Thanks for the advice.
Rick

 

[racerone]

Most shops would sacrifice that nut.----They cut it in two spots and remove it in 2 pieces.-----Install a new one after cleaning up the threads in the housing.

 

[yasielito]

hi this happen to me when I had a 225 merc and it was just the carb built up on the exhaust and it will drain out. but you dont need to worry about it. one thing you can do to get rid of that is to decarbonate your engine. hope this help you.

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

That is the only way to remove the cover nut is split it in half but getting the bearing carrier out is another hurdle salt or fresh water.

I had no problem. I just bent the tab washer back, stuck a large screw driver in one of the notches in the cover nut, and tapped on the side of the screwdriver. It has an arrow on it showing direction for removal. I'm hoping to have as much success with the bearing carrier.

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

Oh yea pay close attention to the shims under the water pump housing and both sides of the front and rear prop shaft bearings gear lash is real important or all is for not the first time to go WOT.

Is'nt it likely that the forward and rear gears will stay in place when the propeller shaft is removed? And all I plan on removing from the drive shaft is the water pump base, right?

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

If your careful you can remove the shift shaft seal housing. remove the square set screw and twist out on the aluminum seal housing while holding down on the shift shaft you dont want to pull the shift shaft out of the cam your gonna want to replace the shift shaft seal while your at it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30676A-1-Bu..._Accessories_Gear&hash=item337743d7cb&vxp=mtr I have a good spare you can have for shipping it is not the easiest one to replace the seal.

Sorry, I didn't post what motor I was talking about. It's a Yami built Mariner. The drive shaft seals are in the water pump base. I had it off this spring to replace the impeller. There is a boot on the shift shaft. I never thought of that being suspect.

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

The shift shaft boot is easy to replace. If it is like my 1982 Mariner there is no problem with pulling the lower shift shaft - in fact you have to in order to replace the boot. It goes back in easily.

In any event, I doubt the shift shaft boot is suspect. Oil leaking out via that boot would be in the water pump housing area - no path to the prop shaft.

That's how I see it. If oil leaked anywhere in the pump cavity of the gear housing it should come out the drain holes; not the exhaust. That is a separate cavity. Even though they are divided by a rubber seal, the drain holes would be a more likely path.

 

[racerone]

Bearing housing / propshaft / reverse gear / clutch dog come out as an assembly.

 

[H. I. McDunnough]

Bearing housing / propshaft / reverse gear / clutch dog come out as an assembly.

Yes, took it out today. It came out real easy. I soaked it over night in P B Blaster, put two blocks against the face of the housing, put a circular saw blade (hey, it fit, so I used it) a washer and the prop nut on the prop shaft. I drove wedges between the saw blade and the blocks. It slid right out.
As has been mentioned earlier, the reverse gear came with it. I opted to leave it in and pry the oil seals out. It worked fine. I was careful to look for the shims, like I was warned, also the little key.
When I did the pressure test, I could only see leakage at the prop seal (bubbles from soap), but the surface where the bearing carrier O-ring seats in the housing looks rough (maybe even pitted). I've got a new o-ring, but I don't know how I'll clean that up way back in there. Maybe with some steel wool on a stick?
All the gears look good and sharp; it's super clean inside. It should go back together good.The only thing that concerns me is torquing the cover nut, since I don't have that special tool. Also, the manual calls for Perfect Seal on the carrier surfaces. Probably for future disassembly. I've got a can of Bombardier's gasket sealer. I think it should work. It works great on threads. Well, waiting on my seals.