1977 Evinrude 55 HP leaking lower unit

steve62

Cadet
Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
18
On the lower unit on both sieds there are water inlets. Well it's where the earmuffs go on..lol On the right side there is a set screw and a second hole below it. The set screw was leaking gear oil like mad. I removed the screw and when re-installing it added a little marine goop to the threads for the last 1/4 inch or so. There's no fluid coming from there. There is however fluid still escaping from a small hole below this set screw. Any ideas on how to stop it or what's causing it?

Anothehr fella refilled the lower unit for me with gear oil. He did this with the unit verticle. He pumped fluid in from the bottom until it leaked from the top fill plug. Could this have overfilled the lower unit or was this the proper way to fill it? The reason I ask is that my super sea horse 40 requires the lower unit to be lifted to the horizontal then filled from the lower drain until there is fluid coming from the upper plug. If that's the case here then this thing may be way overfull????

Any help is appreciated. If it would hep I could take photos of this unit and post them here.

BTW this is all happening with the boat in the backyard not in the water.
 

yellowbelly

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
153
Re: 1977 Evinrude 55 HP leaking lower unit

On the lower unit on both sieds there are water inlets. Well it's where the earmuffs go on..lol On the right side there is a set screw and a second hole below it. The set screw was leaking gear oil like mad. I removed the screw and when re-installing it added a little marine goop to the threads for the last 1/4 inch or so. There's no fluid coming from there. There is however fluid still escaping from a small hole below this set screw. Any ideas on how to stop it or what's causing it?

Anothehr fella refilled the lower unit for me with gear oil. He did this with the unit verticle. He pumped fluid in from the bottom until it leaked from the top fill plug. Could this have overfilled the lower unit or was this the proper way to fill it? The reason I ask is that my super sea horse 40 requires the lower unit to be lifted to the horizontal then filled from the lower drain until there is fluid coming from the upper plug. If that's the case here then this thing may be way overfull????

Any help is appreciated. If it would hep I could take photos of this unit and post them here.

BTW this is all happening with the boat in the backyard not in the water.
it states in the manual never take the set screw out its the pinion bearing u have to disassemble the lower unit to put it back right
 

kjdunne

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2007
Messages
370
Re: 1977 Evinrude 55 HP leaking lower unit

Filling the LU from the bottom until it runs out the top hole with the engine vertical is the correct procedure. Replace the o-rings or washers on the plugs EVERY time they are removed.
 
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