Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

[Killerkev]

Hey guys,
I have a Alpha I Gen I off the boat on a stand. Been experiencing gear oil accumulating in the bottom of the drive, in the prop area where the exhaust comes out. It pools up there and drips out. So I assembled a pressure tester, drained the gear oil and pressurized the drive to 15 psi. She loses pressure within 10 minutes. I bathed the drive in soapy water and found nothing. The tester is tight and is not leaking.

What does one do when in this situation? I should note that when I took the drive off the boat I did see gear oil in the area of the drive where the exhaust from the transom meets the drive but yet I saw no bubbles when I soaked the exhaust area of the drive. Of course I can not see the whole path of the exhaust channel through the drive before it exits through the prop, but no bubbles traveling into that area.

Any suggestions? I'm planning on filling the drive in 1/4 incrumentss and then pressurizing to see if anything drips down into that area. Yes, the prop is off and I've soaked that end prop seal, nothing is bubbling up......

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

oil in the exaust normally means the carrier seal where the U joints are

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

oil in the exaust normally means the carrier seal where the U joints are

Wouldnt it just run into the bellows ?

I was thinking ya should split the drive. Pressure check each half. I use a piece of wood, 2- C-clamps, and a piece of rubber to block off the hole where the quad seal goes.

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Pressurize the drive,put it in gear and have someone turn the drive shaft while you spray the soapy water. Sometimes it leaks very slow while sitting still but when you get the shafts turning within the seals it will open up the leak and make it easier to spot...

 

[Killerkev]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

I'll go with your suggestion Alpheus first and see what happen since it's the easiest. I'll post later this evening.

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Be sure you drain the gear lube before doing the tests.

 

[Killerkev]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Be sure you drain the gear lube before doing the tests.

What would happen if I pressurized it with oil in it as I mentioned above? If all failed I was thinking about putting in 1/4 amounts of oil and pressurizing it to see where it comes out. Not a good idea?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

What would happen if I pressurized it with oil in it as I mentioned above? If all failed I was thinking about putting in 1/4 amounts of oil and pressurizing it to see where it comes out. Not a good idea?

Ayuh,... A pressure test, Ain't a pressure test, if there's oil in the drive...
The Air can't get past the oil to show ya where the leak is...

 

[Killerkev]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Hum, tried turning the driveshaft today and doesn't want to move in any direction in gear or in neutral. I've never tried turing it when it was off the boat before. Am I missing something here?

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Did you drain the oil? If so, dunk the drive in a tub of water and watch for bubbles.

 

[Killerkev]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Did you drain the oil? If so, dunk the drive in a tub of water and watch for bubbles.

Hum, maybe more difficult than it sounds but gonna try right now, Hope I can find a trash can that has no leaks!

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Trash can won't be big enough. Think along the lines of a cheap kids plastic pool. Then you will even be able to see around things.

I normally can find any leak in a drive with spray bottle of soapy water, and listening. The air leaks love to blow bubbles

 

[Killerkev]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

Well for some reason she didn't want to blow bubbles for me. But I found the leak. I never attempted to put the drive in water but just filled it up with oil and let it sit in the afternoon sun and there it was....coming from the upper unit, not the driveshaft but the shaft from the drive shifter? Don't know what it's called, it is the first of two shafts that you can see when you look inside where the exhaust flows through the exhaust bellows and enters the exhaust channel of the drive. That first shaft, leaking from the upper end where it enters the upper unit. Motors I can mess with but I have no experience with drives so off she goes to a proffesional......

 

[gulfvet]

Re: Alpha I Gen I: What to do when pressure test fails & cannot locate leak?!?

re-seal the both the upper and lower while its apart. If one seal is gone, the rest are soon to follow.