Re: 1973 chrysler 70hp lower unit oil leaks out of water intakes
well, i decided to try what i said.
i separated the lower unit from the leg and i drained the oil and then hooked up a air compressor set to 10 psi and connected it to the lower gear fill hole with the upper vent hole closed. i thought i would have to use soapy water to trace the leaks but the air was just rushing/wooshing out noisily from the upper driveshaft seal. couldn't come close to pressuring the gear case to 10psi.
so, after pulling out the rubber seal, i then used a small grinding wheel on my dremel tool to cut away at the metal part of the seal. after cutting a slot that a screwdriver would fit into, i pried out the old seal. i then tried to put the new seal in but had a problem getting it to go in straight, not cockeyed. not having the right driver to seat the seal, i improvised by using the metal tube from a beach umbrella. well, i got it in but at about a 10 degree angle. not so good i guess. i then decided to separate the upper and lower gear case to maybe pull the drive shaft like you told me to, but i ended up just replacing the o-ring between the cases and leaving the seal cockeyed.
so, the big test. i hooked up the air compressor again and happily, the case would fill and stop taking air and when i disconnected the compressor, i got a release of air from the case.
i then assembled it all, put it in a horse tub 150 gallons and ran the motor forward and reverse for about 15 minutes and left it in the water overnight. the next day, i pulled the drain and vent plugs, and happily got only oil coming out, no water.
so, it's ready for the next summer i think.
about my lower gear case freezing last winter:
at the end of last summer,when i stored the boat for the summer, i thought that i had oil mostly in the gear case because when i let some drain out to see, i got only a tablespoon of water and then white oil which i though was mostly oil with just a little bit of water which made it look whitish. when i got ready to do this seal change this time, i drained all the white oil into a clear container and let it sit for a day. what i then saw was 16 oz of clear water on the bottom and 16 oz of green oil on the top, like it was 50/50 mix. so, that is why my lower gear case rear bearing carrier for the prop shaft broke off in the winter. i had, after the white stuff separated, water only filling the lower gear case.
but hey, i've had a great time working/playing with the whole boat thing, learning stuff, maybe more enjoyable to me than just being on the water.
frank, thanks again for all your help and encouragement
christo555