water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

chris0061

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
446
Here's the deal, I had, had my boat to the mechanic to do a lower shift cable replacement. Allot of other things went on during that so to make a long story short I took the boat out and my lower went out. The mechanic broke the skeg backing it into the garage and had a new one welded on so when it went out I thought the welder burned a seal and that is how the water got in. I called the mechanic and he said it wasn't his responsibility on that but he would pressure test it and see were the water got in. I knew he took the entire uppper and lower out in one piece so something kept eating at me and I decided to take the upper off and when I did there were two big o rings there. The mechanic evidently didn't see the old o ring on there and put the new one on and tightened the upper up. With the two o rings smashed together would that allow water to get in the upper drive there for mixing with the lower? As soon as I loosened the six bolts holding the upper on water started coming out and I knew there the problem was. I got it off and the boot had water in it. I'm going to see this mechanic tomorrow and I just want to make sure my thinking is right. Thanks, guys, Chris
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

Howdy,

Is this guy a one man show or is it a reputable shop?

Your taking it apart might have given him a "get out of jail pass"
 

chris0061

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
446
Re: water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

he has a 3 bay gas station and does a lot of work for the marina here in town. I know I need to replace the gimbal bearing since there was water in the boot. what I don't know is could the water have gotten in the lower unit from the double o rings in there not letting the water passage o ring seal.
 

meesh

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
256
Re: water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

No, only way water could enter through there is if the input shaft seal is bad. Did he split the unit and leave the oil passage seal out? Also known as the quad ring.
 

chris0061

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
446
Re: water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

If your talking about the little seal that goes between the upper and lower unit I made sure that was there when I changed the impeller
 

boatguya1

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
444
Re: water in lower unit on 81 mercruiser 260

Are you saying you worked on the drive between the time it last worked and the time the lower unit "went out"?

James
 
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