vacuum test failing on VP SP-A

Stellar

Cadet
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Messages
7
Hi to everyone on the forum, new member and first post so would very much appreciate your advice - I have a Campion Victoria 215 with VP AQ151A 1991 with an SP-A outdrive. Recently noticed oil sheen around outdrive whilst out on ocean. Pulled boat out, oil in drive is a light brown.

Fault finding to date: I have inspected the drive shaft bellows ( I replace every other season) , inside was dry, u joints /yoke all look good- thank you!, drained oil from leg, pressure tested to 15psi, turned prop shaft and shifted gears, pressure held at 15psi for 3 hours, absolutely no drop in pressure.

Proceeded to vacuum test and could only achieve a maximum vacuum of 25kpa, vacuum holds at 25kpa for 1 hour, did not drop from this (manual calls for around 50kpa). Using VP Workshop Manual

Leg is still on boat, I have tried to locate leak by adding thick oil around seals and joints - difficult to get thick oil onto drive shaft seal with leg on boat. Not found any leak as yet, just making a big oily mess!

Question: 1) would you advise to remove leg to aide locating leak. ( wanted to avoid this if possible)
2) I read on an old thread, I believe Don mentioned it, that drive seals don't hold beyond a certain pressure, below that of the manuals figure and to tip drive to improve seal? please could someone explain this -

Thank you for any help.
 
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