[SOLVED] SEI Sterndrive - Top cover questions

spartenos

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
33
Good Morning!

I have a boat that has an SEI upper on it after some issues last year that just wouldn't go away. Decided to cut my losses and (on the advice of people here and a marine mechanic) went with an SEI upper. I was doing maintenance on the boat this past weekend (boating season is almost done here in Michigan!) and popped the top cover off the drive to check inside. This is where I noticed a few things that the OEM Mercruiser did NOT have.....

1. On the top cover, near the rear, there was a gasket that was almost... glued to the cover around the part highlighted in the attached drawing. Do I need to scrape this off and then use some gasket maker to make a new one?

2. After reassembly (I wasn't worried about that gasket as I am not taking it to the water until this weekend), it seemed to whine a bit more than normal and when I touched the top cover, it was definitely getting quite warm to the touch. Would this be a sign that I (likely) tightened the cover a little too much or is it normal and I am just paranoid at the moment?

3. Unrelated - Since getting the drive, I finally was able to get through break in and try to open it up. When I did this, I could NOT push past 2800 RPM. I rebuilt the carb, replaced the water\fuel separator and changed out plugs. I haven't had it on the water since doing those items. I did seem to think, when looking at the gears, that they seemed like they might be a different ratio than what I had before. Could this account for my massive RPM @ WOT loss? This is just a little 3.0 inline 4.

Thanks again! The help, support, recommendations, and banter that I have seen here have been incredibly useful and helpful. And hey, I even have hardcopies of Service manuals 13 and 14 now!
 

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alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
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Mar 8, 2009
Messages
40,581
That's a good idea Rick, he should be able to clear it up
Viewed this post when posted and my assumption was it was a non-issue. The o-ring seals the lube/gear cavity, so anything else is just extra. Left it alone figuring an alpha outdrive expert would come in. Day is still young, they may still show up, but Rick has a real good suggestion.
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
10,200
yeah if an SEI they have a three year unconditional warranty so even if you hit a tree and kill it, they replace it.
 

spartenos

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
33
Solved! Well - I need to write a new post, but wanted to post here in case anyone else asks.

Justin got back to me and - basically - I was being paranoid.

The extra gasket is sealant that they place around the plug that has a tendency to squeeze out and then adhere to the top cover - no need to scrape it off and replace it. The top cover tends to warm up when running on muffs due to (typically) running at lower speeds/idle (which result in lube not being splashed around) and not being underwater to help cool it that way. I double checked the calibration on my torque wrench and it was spot on @ 20 ft/lbs.

I will post a new question about my WOT RPM - After double checking all the adults only items. I am leaning more and more towards this being a case of wrong gear ratio.
 
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