Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

[tink]

I have a 1980 Evinrude 15 horse outboard (2 stroke). I winterized it last fall and started it up in a water tank to be sure it would be good to go for this season.

The motor runs like a top, but when I put it away in my garage, it leaked a puddle of oil out of the exhaust port. The puddle was about six inches in diameter and the oil was pretty dark.

Any ideas what would cause this? I don't understand how lower unit oil would get sucked up and out the exhaust port unless I had a bad seal or something. What should I look at first?

Thanks in advance for all you help.

Tink

 

[jtexas]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

most likely unburnt engine oil.

to be certain, you could drain the lower unit & look for water.

 

[reeldutch]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

couple of things

- could be fogging oil finding its way out

- could be gear case oil leaking out. Check oil with draining LU pressure and vacuum test

- could be a blown lower crankcase seal

does it smell like gear oil or 2 stroke oil?

 

[F_R]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

As you already figured out, it does not make sense to assume it's gear oil. Even if it was, it would have to be one helluva leak.
Seriously, it is the oil that you mixed with the gas. Plus fogging oil if you did fog it last fall. Some of the oil that you put in the gas burns on the way through the motor (smoke). The rest goes out the exhaust. It picks up carbon particles from the exhaust pipe, which turns it black. And it is not ALL oil, some gasoline goes through unburned also. You are running it in a tank which does not let it dissipate as it would in the lake. Instead it emulsifies and goes through the cooling system and drains out when you remove it from the tank. What I am trying to say is don't worry about it. Check your gear oil to ease your mind and then rest easy.

BTW, if you are concerned about the environment, and you should be, then use 100% synthetic TC-W3 outboard oil. They claim it's biodegradeable. It certainly does smoke less.

 

[tink]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

Ok, I just went back and looked and it does smell like gas and two cycle oil. I guess it was just unburnt oil since I was only idling the motor? I'll double check the lower unit oil, but it looks like it might be ok.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=207285

 

[reeldutch]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

pretty sure your lower crancase seal is leaking.
thats the only way oil can leak out.

after you run the motor it pudles down in the crankcase. than it drips out.

to verify this run the motor and disconect the fuel line at the carbs and at the plug. so you are not pumping fuel and oil in the motor let it run out of gas completely drie.

than let it sit.

bet you you wont see any drippings.

now to fix the leak you wil have to take the powerhead of and take the crankcase of and thake the cover of and install new seal and o rings.


running the motor in this condition might cause major problems .
remember that the crankcase also has a vacuum.
it wil suck in Water /air/exhaust wich wil lead to running lean, water in the block and your bearings tu rust.

hope this will help a bitt

remember it is normal to have a bit of oil dripping sometimes out of the exhaust.
the key word here is exessive and every time after you run the motor and let it sit for 1 day.
if it defenetly smells like gass its not even burned so it must come out of your crancase.

good luck

 

[tink]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

Thanks for the link, I did look at that after I started this thread. I will have to check my lower unit oil to see if there is any water in it.

When I ran my engine earlier, I did disconnect the fuel line and ran it out of gas until the engine died. (I didn't want any fuel sitting in the carbs)

After it was out of gas, the oil leaked out of the exhaust port. It doesn't seem to be leaking anywhere else, just out of the exhaust port, down the lower unit, and dripping off the skeg.

If that was lower unit oil, would the bad seal be towards the top of the lower unit and under the powerhead?

Thanks.

Tink

 

[jtexas]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

There's only one way for lower unit oil to get up that high, if your water pump is so strong that it overpowers the driveshaft seal and sucks it out. I heard of that happening to a V6 yammy once, but it's not happening to your motor (somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

 

[tink]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

Ok, I just checked the lower unit oil using the bottom screw since any water should have been on the bottom. The oil looks brand new and is not discolored in any way. The leak I saw earlier must have been due to the fogging oil and unburnt oil in the fuel since I was idling the motor and not in gear. Looks like it should be gtg, but I'll monitor it when in use. Thanks again for all your help and expertise!

 

[F_R]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

You aren't the first one to worry about oil dripping and you won't be the last. Similar questions show up here almost daily. If anyone really does have a real problem we'll probably miss it because of the daily same ol' question.

 

[dot1]

Re: Oil leaking out exhaust port! Help!

I asked the same question a few days ago, thanks for all the responses!