Stern Drive Oil Leak Surprise - Happy 4th

[photogmkr]

EDIT - All photos have been posted below by AllDodge a BIG thank you to him for his help! - EDIT

Happy 4th everyone!

Well, I wasn't expecting to post back here for some time but here I am. I went to the storage shed today to check on the boat for this coming weekend and Image 5 shows what I found. Two nice big oil stains under my stern drive. ugh. I should say that this is my first MerCrusier setup and I don't know much, actually anything, about them. So I've been researching as much as I can but could use some help!

Image 1 shows where I found the 2 oil drips coming from on the stern drive.

Image 2 shows no oil on the upper area but residual oil on the bottom area. It also point to where I found a drip in the back. It was between the fin and the bolt on piece back there.

Image 3 shows what I think was where one of the oil drips was coming from. I think it might have started from the hole labeled A, went down the fin B, and then down the back C. BUT that fin area looked a bit dry on both sides and the oil still had a drip at the bottom. You can see where the front of the stern drive is wet along C so it seems logical that it was coming from up above but I couldn't find wet.

Image 4 shows the drip I've been referring to on the top fin where the piece bolts to it. In the bubble I talk about how I looked up around that bolt and found no oil in that area behind the bolt on piece. That whole area was dry so I have no clue where that drip is coming from.

Image 5 shows the 2 oil spots I found. ugh.

It's an Alpha One Gen II. I bought it about 3 weeks ago and stored it at my house and didn't notice any oil coming from it. I took it out two weekends ago and parked it in the storage space I rented for it and came back today and found the oil. Anyone have any idea where the oil could be coming from? I'll be doing all the maintenance my self so all help, suggestions, part numbers, advice, video links, everything would be greatly appreciated!!!

I appreciate any and all help!!

EDIT - All photos have been posted below by AllDodge a BIG thank you to him for his help! - EDIT

 

[photogmkr]

No Title

Didn't work

 

[alldodge]

Try this method

 

[photogmkr]

Didn't work.

 

[alldodge]

Nope, still not doing it

 

[alldodge]

Your pics do not have enough resolution. I brought them in and tried to make them larger, but they are just all grainy

 

[photogmkr]

Will This work?

 

[photogmkr]

Your pics do not have enough resolution. I brought them in and tried to make them larger, but they are just all grainy

They are large, but proper size for site, on my computer. I don't know why they are not importing. I did this a couple weeks ago without a problem.

 

[achris]

Regardless of the photos. About the only thing you can do is pull the drive and pressure test it. Only that will show you where the leaks are.

Yes you do need to remove the drive. Have a look at my videos (link at the bottom of my signature) to see how to get the drive off. Also look in the mercruiser stickies section for how to do a pressure test.

Chris. ...

 

[alldodge]

This should work

 

[achris]

Given where the oil appears to be dripping, you have 3 possible seals leaking. Upper housing drive shaft seals. Involved a full strip of the upper housing to replace. Lower housing shift shaft seal. Spilt the housings, replace just the seal. Or the Driveshaft seal in the lower housing. Split the housings, pull the water pump off and that seal is under the baseplate.

A pressure test will tell you which one.

Chris. ..

 

[photogmkr]

Chris and AllDodge - thank you for all your help so far, I greatly appreciate it!

I've enlisted the help of a friend of mine who has an Alpha One Gen I to help me with this. He recently resealed his upper and is willing to help me with mine. Since this is a new to me boat that is 23 years old, and since I'm going to be tearing into it anyway I thought I would replace as much as I could. What are your thoughts on this? Is it overkill or good preventative maintenance?

I've been digging around trying to find all the correct seal kits I would need and this is what I've been able to come up with. Can someone sanity check me? Everything came from the Sterndrive website.

Upper Seal Kit Gen II
Brand: SEI Marine
Code: 94-116-09K
OE#: 88397A1

Bell Housing Gasket Set
Brand: SEI Marine
Code: 95-106-01
OE#: 94996Q2

Lower Seal Kit Gen II
Brand: SEI Marine
Code: 95-116-11K
OE#: 26-816575A3

Is there anything else I should be doing while I have this thing torn apart?

Thank you all for your help!

 

[achris]

For seals I always prefer oem. Add some gear oil and an impeller kit to your list. And yes, at 23 years it's a good idea.

While you are in there, check the unis and the gimbal bearing. Replace ONLY if they need it. And check, with a view to replacing, bellows.

Chris. ...

 

[photogmkr]

For seals I always prefer oem. Add some gear oil and an impeller kit to your list. And yes, at 23 years it's a good idea.

While you are in there, check the unis and the gimbal bearing. Replace ONLY if they need it. And check, with a view to replacing, bellows.

Chris. ...

If I get the lower seal kit do I need the impeller kit? I could be wrong but it looked like all the needed seals came in that kit. I thought I would just need the impeller.

The dealer told me that the bellows were just changed. I inspected them and they look good. I figured I would change them at the end of next season.

What's the best place to get OEM parts?

 

[achris]

An impeller 'kit' includes the gaskets, which are not included in the seal kit.

OEM, buy from a merc dealer or an on-line site selling merc genuine parts.

Chris......

 

[photogmkr]

Update - So.....I brought the boat home ordered all my seals and tools. Borrowed the tools that I didn't have. Watched hours and hours of videos and felt confident that I could do this job! The day started awesome. I built a custom workbench to hold the drive and all was going smooth. Tore it all apart and started resealing it. No problems. Then I got to the upper bearing assembly on the u-joint. The nut came right off and I thought "that seemed way to easy" because the video I've been watching over and over says 70ft pounds but he does 90ft pounds. I get the seal out and start to put it all back together again and set the torque wrench to 90 and start torquing. I believe somethings not right so I decide to do the 70 that he stated was correct. I give it a little pull and the torque wrench breaks and all is good in the world. I lube up the inside of the case, make sure my spacers are correct and go to slide the u-joint assembly in - and it won't go. I tried for about 45 min to get it in and it just wouldn't go. I decide to tear it back apart and start looking at it. When I do I noticed that my perfectly good bearings no longer turn. Very long story short - I've come to the conclusion that I have over torqued them. Way over torqued them and destroyed the bearings. The bearing that I can read says Timken 386A. From what I've been able to research it looks like they are aftermarket kit purchased from T.C. Electronics (the same video that stated to torque to 70ft pounds I might add).

So you know - yes I do have the mercruiser manual. I found a PDF version and printed out all the sections I would need. I read the pre-load section multiple times but glossed over it because I KNEW I was to torque it to 70-90ft pounds because the video that I watched 100 times said to do so over and over. Now I've come home madder than I've been started re-researching and now know that for used bearings torque to 5.5 and for new 8ft pounds. Expensive lesson.

So here's what I'm thinking. I get a bearing separator/puller and remove those bearings. Purchase the proper bearing kit and find a press and loosely press them in place until I can get the nut on the shaft. Align all the appropriate pieces together and then tighten the nut down to 8ft pounds. Lube it up, slide it into the housing, torque the spanner nut to 200ft pounds, and I'm good to go.

I have a couple questions:
1. Am I right?
2. Can I use a bearing separator/puller to remove those bearings?
2. If I can remove them and find a press to install new ones, will my shims still work and keep the gears aligned and set to the proper gap? Or will I need to take it to someone to ensure it has the proper gap?

Thanks for all of your help everyone!

 

[achris]

Question 1. No. There is no torque spec for the nut for the 'roller torque' set up. And the rolling torque is 6 to 10inch-lb, not ft-lb (for new bearings). See my videos for a video on setting up the rolling torque, and yes you need a dial type torque indicator, not a torque wrench.
Question 2 (the first '2'). Yes.
Question 2 (the second '2') Bearings are manufactured to tolerances better than 1/10th of a thou. I have done it many times, replaced the bearings and check the clearances, and they haven't moved. Where the differences come is the aluminium housings, that's why we need the shim tools...

Chris......

 

[photogmkr]

Chris,

Thanks again for coming to my aid with great information. I greatly appreciate you doing that for me. I have all the parts ordered and this is an expensive lesson. I'll spend this week watching your video, which I should have paid more attention to the first time.

Quick question. I don't have a press or access to one like I thought I might. Is there another method of getting those bearings pressed on or should I find a machine shop or somewhere that could do this for me?

Thanks again for all your help!

Travis

 

[alldodge]

The bearings need to be pressed on, and done correctly. Most shops don't change much to press one on.

 

[achris]

Do a search. I told a guy about a 'cheap man's press' a few weeks ago.