Hi all, I recently purchased a 1986 DT25 for a good price, I noticed a small repair right where the prop meets the lower unit, a small triangle of metal missing from the lower unit which had been repaired with chemical metal (I thought). The guy who was selling it to me hadn't mentioned it but the motor runs fine and pumps water ok (although a mate had to clear out the water pipes with compressed air before it did pump properly), the price was good and I can always look out for a lower unit/casing and get one when it comes up on the bay. I had a poke about at this repair and it turned out to be a soft bitumen-like substance, maybe mastik? Anyway, it came off without a struggle but there was no outpouring of oil, it just revealed a small triangular hole about half an inch in size. My mate who is a fisherman and does know more than I do about outboards has suggested chemical metal and a small patch of fibreglass. I'd be more inclined to use maybe some aluminium gauze inside the hole, then chemical metal sanded flush with the lower unit casing and then a patch of aramid with epoxy resin, followed by a band of aramid tape around the lower unit where it meets the prop, again, epoxied then sanded and painted. I have asked locally about TIG Welding but I can't find anyone who has the equipment.
What do you guys think I should do? Equally important, do I need to worry about this hole too much in as much as will all my gear oil fall south? Thanks for any thoughts.
What do you guys think I should do? Equally important, do I need to worry about this hole too much in as much as will all my gear oil fall south? Thanks for any thoughts.
I don't know much about outboards but I guess I was thinking along those same lines too, I only just got the outboard so I don't know if there is an oil leak or not but I'm incined to think that there isn't because there is no evidence of one. Also the place where the small piece is broken off is right on the edge of the casing, right where the prop meets the housing, because of this my reasoning is that there must be a seal further in to prevent the oil spilling out around the prop, there can't be a seal against the prop because the friction of the seal would act like a brake on the prop? So I'm thinking that you're right and it's nothing to worry about, I think I'll just loosen the oil drain screw and see if there is any oil in there and if that's OK, I think I'll just patch it and then get it welded at a later date. I have no photo yet but I'll try and get one in a minute when I go to the boat shed.