1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

[Alter Bootsmann]

I have a 1989 Johnson 110. Back in the summer a mechanic installed a new impeller in the lower gear case housing. Ever since then, I have had a brown sludgy residue coming all the way down the engine drive shaft housing.It is getting brown sludge stains all over everything and leaving a film in the water. Is their possibility an o ring or seal that might have got left out or broke or anything? The motor has very low time on it and is still running great.
Thank you very much for any advice.

 

[toddschubert]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Are you talking about just under lower motor cover?
Mine does that a little. Power head gasket I suspect leaking (oil) if so.
I'm not so worried as mine is very minor sounds like yours is a bit more of a problem.
Changing water pump in lower unit should have nothing to do with this unless he used a large amount of grease on drive shaft splines but that shouldn't be coming out where you say. I keep mine clean so I can monitor if it gets worse as power head gasket is major operation.

 

[toddschubert]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Just thinking...If the lower unit was put on and the exhaust seal was out of place some exhaust would be present in the whole of the housing (supposed to only be in center chamber). This could cause exhaust oil residue to build up where this is escaping housing possibly at top. when enough oil builds up it will oooze down.
Just saying

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

I'm gonna take it by the mechanic shop tommorrow and see what he says. The wierd thing is, it just was not doing this until he changed that impeller so as I know very little about outboards, just thinking maybe a seal or something didn't seat right? You just cannot see up in there at all. I was looking at the schematic drawings on the BRP website for this engine and saw and o ring for the drive shaft to crank housing and thought maybe that was the culprit?
This exhaust seal could very well be it if you it could be disloged or installed incorrectly when changing impeller.
I know on my I/O mercruiser, if you don't get that little o ring in place when reinstalling the lower gear housing you have problems.
I do know that the Mercruiser has lube circulation from lower to upper gear housing. the outboard has no upper housing but I wondered about that O ring on the shaft?

 

[cbavier]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Mine is doing the same thing after having the impeller changed this summer. Johnson 50HP. I called the shop when I first noticed it. He told me to bring it back in. He looked at it and said it was ok but the oil/grease was from the exhaust and caused from using Pennzoil. I don't believe him. I've used Pennzoil for years and it never leaked like that before.

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Hmm, interesting. I had been using Penzoil also and went back and started buying the Johnson oil from the Marina...didn't help at all. We just went fishing today in it and it is just making the back of the boat filthy. I usually have to clean it off everytime I use her but I didn't tonight so he can see how bad it is. Besides just being nasty, it's polution too.

 

[cbavier]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Mine isn't that bad. Mine just oozes. It's Greyish Brown and thick like grease. It seems to be coming out right where the bottom of the shaft is bolted onto the lower unit. All he did was take that off and replace the impeller. I'm wondering if he didn't use the old seal? However he did charge me for a new seal. I checked the lower unit oil and it was full. When I winterized it this fall. I drained the oil from the lower unit and it was clean. So I don't know what it is or where it's coming from.

 

[toddschubert]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

There is no seal at lower unit to shaft housing junction. No need,...no oil it just fills w water when running.
If oil is leaking out of there you have a gearcase problem. But not likely caused by changing impeller.
Oring on shaft when changing impeller is only to keep water not exhaust or gear oils.

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

There is no seal at lower unit to shaft housing junction. No need,...no oil it just fills w water when running.
If oil is leaking out of there you have a gearcase problem. But not likely caused by changing impeller.
Oring on shaft when changing impeller is only to keep water not exhaust or gear oils.

Oh, Ok well thanks for clearing that one up for me (the seal). I did neglect to mention that I am using it to troll fish 80% of the time it is running. Usually several hours at a time at idle speed. So could that be doing it? If so will one of the "De Carb" treatments maybe help?
The stuff originates right below the engine cover below the center of the engine. It comes out all around the upper part of the shaft housing and gets in the water and sticks to the hull of the boat and engine. It's brown and thick. Not white or black just thick and brown. Thanks for the comments everyone.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

There is some truth to the Pennzoil creating more oozing goo comment.

I have used many oils over the years and Pennzoil synthetic blend is probably the one I use the most, and it will create a brownish oozing goo that will run out of the motor. Any unburned oils will flow out the exhaust and into the water, Pennzoil just happens to not disperse in water as well as some, especially cool water.

If you've been trolling and not running the motor hard this oil and water blend of goo will build up inside the housing, this goo is very high in viscosity, almost like a very light grease. Later, as the water starts to evaporate the viscosity drops and the thinning goo starts to flow out of the housing. This only happens on motors I troll with, not motors that have been run at higher RPMs for a period of time. This doesn't mean it's a dirty oil, only that instead of the oil being flushed out of the motor right away, it sticks around for a while and then forms a puddle on the floor of my shop. When I switch to other oils the oozing goo will be reduced, or with some brands it may stop all together.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

It is possible you are describing a leak between the powerhead and the exhaust adapter inside the cowling. If the powerhead base gasket deteriorates, exhaust sludge will leak out and run down the midsection. This is a common malady on these older crosslfows. Probably not related to any impeller changeout. Other than being messy, it's not a fatal problem. The larger problem is that when the base gasket goes, exhaust leaks into the cowling when the engine is running and it gets recirculated into the carbs when running. Probably best to get the gasket replaced. It's about 3 hours labor to lift the powerhead and replace the gasket. About $ 15 for the gasket.

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Thanks emdsapmgr! Sounds like you have described my engine problem perfectly. I am used to the non messy I/O and outboards are totally new to me. If this is just a "nature of the beast" issue, well I will learn to live with it. I just hate how nasty it makes the back of my boat and the engine. I mean, it runs great, just NASTY.
I am using genuine XD-50 now, have been for the last 4 to 5 outings. Your description of the"ooze" is EXACTLY what I am seeing too. How long could it take before I see a difference?
Thanks!

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

I wanted to post a few pics of the"ooze." Maybe my problem isn't a problem at all. I am just as stated earlier, new to outboards. Always have had I/O's. My boat is a '74 AMF Slickcraft SS-160.

 

[Alter Bootsmann]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

Are you talking about just under lower motor cover?
Mine does that a little. Power head gasket I suspect leaking (oil) if so.
I'm not so worried as mine is very minor sounds like yours is a bit more of a problem.
Changing water pump in lower unit should have nothing to do with this unless he used a large amount of grease on drive shaft splines but that shouldn't be coming out where you say. I keep mine clean so I can monitor if it gets worse as power head gasket is major operation.

Well Todd both you and emdsapmgr were correct about the power head gasket. Had that fixed and while the mech. was in there I had hime replace some bad hoses(soem water hoses were cracked slightly), install the updated crankcase pulse valve (the blue one, the original is black and doesn't keep backfires from entering the VRO). It ended up being rather pricey because of labor time. It has stopped the oozing however I will still get a little oily residue on engine and stern when I am trolling for extended time. This I understand cannot be avoided due to nature of engine. Still it is no where near what it was and that is good. The mechanic recommended disconnecting the VRO and going to premix. He said my VRO is putting out a little too much oil on the idle. Of course too much is better than too little. I have opted to stay with the VRO. I do not enjoy premixing as I have always had I/O boats. ;-)
Anyways, just wanted to update the situation. Happy boating everyone!

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1989 Johnson 110, Sludgy ooze has started running down the drive shaft housing.

I think the crossflows typically run somewhat rich at idle. Not sure that changing the VRO for a premix fuel pump will make much difference in the exhaust smoking that you are seeing. One thing you might check further. Those engines will smoke more if they are running cold. Sometimes the thermostats will stick open, causing the engines to run cooler than normal. You'll never know this without some investigation. You can check this with a laser temp gun (rented from an auto parts store.) You'd be looking to see the powerhead heat up to around 145 degrees after idling for a while in the lake. Running on a cold (household) garden hose may not give you accurate readings. Also, cold engines tend to build up carbon quicker around the ringsets.