91 omc leak around trans

[billieand]

i have a 91 omc outdrive,when i put it the water last wk.water started to come in from around the bottom of the transome,i took it out of the water and then hooked up my water to the out drive and you can see water leaking in ,but when you put it in the water it really comes in,where should i start looking,,a friend said it could be some exhust pipe to the transome that could be bad,,,,also is there supposed to be gear oil in the u joint boot?please help so i can get it back in the water,,,i just recently rebuilt the engine,,,

 

[danpolk]

Re: 91 omc leak around trans

If you just did the engine you should do the transom stuff, too. Save yourself a sunk boat.

There's a bellows, an exhaust pipe gasket and a few other gaskets that can leak water into the transom. The u-joint bellows is a common place to develop a leak. It would have grease in it, yes. Your u-joints are in there. If you have a leak in your u-joint bellows, your u-joints and gimbal are very likely shot (or on their way) and should be replaced. Cheap insurance and a quieter drive.

When your boat's in the water it'll leak faster. Much more pressure on the split/hole.

A transom service kit is only about $100 and comes with all the stuff you'd need to seal up the most common leaky areas plus replace your gimbal bearing. Shouldn't cost more than about $200 to have a shop do the whole thing.

Mine's doing the same thing, just ordered a kit from eBay. Other guys can chime in and help identify the leak beyond what I can do. I know my u-joint bellows look toast from the outside and I take on water pretty quickly. 2+2 together....

 

[billieand]

Re: 91 omc leak around trans

the u joint bellow is new /and gamble bearings,,,,.so i hope thats not it ,,,there was no water in the u joint bellow,when i checked it ..so i think it might be the shift cable seal,not sure,,thanks for you help