Originally posted by trog100:<br /> lakelivin.. if u a aint an expert nothing should seem clear to u except what u are told.. u are told many things.. being a cautious guy u will go for the cautious approach..<br /><br />Maybe I should have been a little more explicit. Little expertise, but some experience that resembles slow_boy's case. I had an outdrive that ran low on oil (shop's mistake)and developed a slight whine in the upper even after it was filled to capacity. I drove it for about 17 hours before change of season with no dramatic change in sound of the whine. Next spring when I took it to a highly qualified OMC shop for general service, found out that the gears & bearings were shot. If I had driven it much more the mechanic indicated that the casing would have ended up trashed. After very closely looking at the issue (due to the original shop's negligence in filling the drive) here are some of the numbers that I can reliably plug into my price/ risk equation (OMC Cobra drive): if it's only a bearing & you keep driving it & damage the gearset, add over $500 to repair for cost of new gears alone. If you trash the casing, forget repair, need a new or completely rebuilt upper. At the very least, add another $300 to cost of a rebuilt one cause the core you return is shot. <br /><br />i have an idea what what can happen when something like an outdrive is run low on oil.. i dont keep forgetting or not taking into account anything dude..<br /><br />the drive has been run all day without failing or any change in the "slight whine".. it could carry on for ages.. in fact in my oppinion it probably will.. <br /><br />its a simple probability factor.. the drive works okay but has a slight whine.. we know what caused the whine.. being run low on oil.. the problem has been fixed oil is now in the drive.. but some damage has been done.. hence the "slight whine"<br />The problem hasn't been fixed; as you state, some damage has been done, as indicated by the new whine even after the oil is refilled. Unfortunately you don't know what that damage is. And the problem with listening to the sound to see if it gets worse is that if it does get worse, it's as likely to be due to the failure of a different part going (perhaps fatally) as it is of the originally damaged part 'slightly worsening' over time. In other words, if you hear a change in the noise it's probably too late, you've caused more damage. <br /><br />the question.. how long will the drive keep going.. the answer no one knows..<br /><br />the repair.. to do it properly a total rebuild cos its impossible to tell exactly what components have been damaged by the period of low oil running so u replace very moving part to make sure.. expensive..<br />Not with a decent mechanic. If he sees the gears are ok he shouldn't replace them with a new $500 set 'just to be sure'.<br /><br />the other option.. just hope the whine is being caused by a slight roughening of gear surfaces and that not too much damage has been done by the period of low oil running..<br />Again, a decent mechanic is going to inspect the parts and if it's just a slight roughening of the gear surfaces, should inform the customer of that & let him decide what to do.<br /><br />the danger.. the whine is being caused by a badly damged bearing that might fail and cause something to break or seize..<br /><br />there are three possibilites.. <br /><br />1.. u keep running the drive and it lasts for years.. cost nothing..<br /><br />2.. u rebuild it now.. cost expensive..<br /><br />3.. u keep running it and it fails.. cost.. could be just as cheap as option two if u buy in another drive as some folks would.. could be a little more expensive than option two if u do the work yourself..<br />Replacing a damaged bearing now is gonna be alot cheaper than a totally rebuilt drive later (or possibly sooner). <br /><br />tell u one thing thow.. there aint no quick cheap fix for something like that.. it aint small amount now might will save big amount later.. its big amount now or (with a little luck) no amount..<br />Agreed, it isn't going to be cheap, but it could be a more modest amount now (say if it's a matter of replacing a damaged bearing) vs. a much larger amount later, say if you totally trash the drive.... <br /><br />and of course the circumstances u use your boat in play a part.. if your life depends on your drive not failing.. buy a new bugger.. dont even waste time trying to fix the old one.. if my drive failed it would just be inconvenient.. not life threatening.. which is one of the reasons i would take the run it and see option..<br /><br />trog100 <br />
<br /><br />In truth I will be planning to remove the drive and rebuild some of the upper unit and possibly the lower. I have most of the tools needed I am just not ready for the project at this moment in time.
