leak in lower unit?

[jjohnson_714]

alright quick question for you guys. is this ok, or should i be worried. i hate to sound stupid, but it just doesnt seem right. what is that hole there for anyways?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: leak in lower unit?

Water....Not gear oil....
You have a bad seal.....
I am not an expert, in fact, most here know more than me.....​

 

[jjohnson_714]

Re: leak in lower unit?

that's what i was thinking... does anyone know if that seal comes in this kit? i figure since i'll have to change that one, i might as well do the rest while i'm at it

http://www.iboats.com/mall/partfind...gd_poid=110559&gd_row=14&**********=877170055

 

[larky]

Re: leak in lower unit?

Could just be unburnt fuel. That hole is the lower exhuast housing drain.

 

[ezeke]

Re: leak in lower unit?

What you need to do is to look at that link you posted and scroll down to what is in it. The list gives the OMC/BRP part numbers.

Then go to the BRP Parts Catalog for your specific motor and look at the gearcase diagram and parts list. You can print the diagram and list, download it to Excel or capture the diagrams as photos.

http://epc.brp.com/default.aspx?brands=ej&lang=e

The hole with the leaking liquid is just a drain for water that is caught in the cavity above it. There is no seal there. It could have come from the engine or the gearcase. My guess would be that you have been riunning the motor in a bucket and that is just engine oil that ran out with the exhaust.

But, if you have water in your gear oil, you need to do the seals. The only way to tell for sure is to take the lower slotted drain screw out and look at the oil that comes out. If there is water or creamy oil, you need to stop the water. It may be just the seals on the vent and drain plugs, or it may be something more complicated.

 

[jjohnson_714]

Re: leak in lower unit?

definately is oil and not gas (i'm not that stupid...)

so if that is the lower exhaust housing drain, that could be really bad then with oil coming out of it..

 

[jjohnson_714]

Re: leak in lower unit?

thanks for the link. here's the story on the motor. a guy had it sitting around forever so he sold it to me for $100. i changed the oil in it this morning, and there was a bit for water and the oil was black and sludgy. so i was thinking that that hole was probably where the water came from. you said that the hole is connected to the cavity above it, so is there a tube that runs from the hole to the place it drains? i've looked through my books and havent seen anything on it. if that is the case then it could be that that line is busted letting the oil out of the gearcase and water into it... i'll never know for sure until i rip it apart though. looks like i got myself a project for the weekend...

thanks again guys

 

[F_R]

Re: leak in lower unit?

There is no tubes or anything that fancy. It is just a low place where water would lay if not drained out, that is the reason for the hole. Yes, all kinds of sludgy crud from the oily exhaust also drains out there. But you say you have water in the oil, so.....

The most likely place for gear oil to appear at that drain hole would be the shift rod seal. Total disassembly of the gearcase is required for replacing that seal. Buy yourself a seal kit which will give you all the seals. Since you are totally disassembling it, there would be no sense in not replacing all the seals. Same goes for the water pump, you will have that all apart and now is the time to replace anything doubtful in there.

Before you ask, to remove the shift rod bushing, just knock it out with a 5/16" steel rod. It may buggar up the hole in the bushing a bit, but you can fix it with a round (chainsaw) file.

Don't be alarmed when you get all done and still have oil coming out the hole. As mentioned, it is black, sludgy, emulsified crud out of the exhaust....normal.

 

[ezeke]

Re: leak in lower unit?

When gearcase oil turns black, it is because it is worn out. That would indicate a lot of use without service. If you had only a small amount of water it could have come in from bad washers on the oil vent and drain screws.

When you take the lower unit off again and have the oil out, put a little air pressure in the case, say 10-12 psi using one of the plug holes, and see if air is escaping at the shift rod, the driveshaft or the propeller shaft. You may need to submerge it and look for bubbles.

 

[jjohnson_714]

Re: leak in lower unit?

thank you much! i'll tear it apart tomorrow morning, and see what all i need to replace in there. for $100 though, even if some of it's bad, i can always part it out and make my money back.

 

[Solittle]

Re: leak in lower unit?

No need to take anything apart. What you have is unburned oil that has congealed and looks like sludge. It is comming out of one of the drain hols in the exhyaust cavity. It is perfectly normal.