Water in lower unit...

[ChrisQ]

Maybe sombody can put my mind at ease, here is the deal...
Bought a 1998 Aquasport 20' CC w/ 1998 Evinrude 115 Ocean Pro for a really good price. Now I think I am finding out why the price was so "good".
I test ran the boat for 45 minutes. engine runs strong, no pwer problems. (I do have a fuel primer solenoid problem but that is minor and I will fix that) but back to the point. I hooked up a flush hose to the threaded water flow indicator port on the cowling to backflush the motor. I expected to see water coming out only from the lower unit intake ports. What I saw was water coming out of everwhere it could...Specifically the joint between the lower unit and middle section. So Of course I checked the lower unit and found it to be full of milky oil which I know, of course is water. SO... I am going to pull it and inspect it, my question is this... Should I put the brakes on my other improvements (have a tee top install scheduled for Monday. very $$$) or is this most likely a minor problem, being that the lower unit ran OK during the test run? Either way I am ordering a new lower unit seal kit...Any advice on what else I may need to do?
Thanks in Advance

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Water in lower unit...

should be fine, the seals on the drain and vent screws are # 1 reason for water intrusion. also order a bottom exhaust seal, the water exits the exhaust housing.

 

[ChrisQ]

Re: Water in lower unit...

Thanks for the reply.... Here's what I found.

Lower unit drain screw had to be heated and a groove re-ground into it to remove... Oil is greyish but no water settles out of it ( motor has been sitting for a week ) Lower drain screw had no gasket/o-ring so it was most likely the source of leakage. Did a homemade pressure test on lower unit by setting air compressor regulator to 15psi and jabbing the rubber end of an inflator fitting into the drain to create a seal... No guage, but at a minute of holding it there when I remove it it is still under pressure so I am satisfied it is not a big leak if any. This will have to do until my pressure tester kit arrives. I guess the next step is to refill it, get a new plug with an o-ring, and water test it then check oil again. I am pretty confident I am ok, my only question is as stated in my first post, is it normal for water to come out of the joint between the lower unit and mid section when doing a hose backflush from the "pee-hole" port with the engine off?

Thanks again
Chris

 

[Solittle]

Re: Water in lower unit...

It is normal for water to come out where you describe.

 

[Reggie08]

Re: Water in lower unit...

I used a bicycle pump with a gauge on it that read as low as 10psi (foot operated). Using the device for blowing up inflatables, I pushed the hose on from a lower unit oil pump. Threaded it in to the fill hole then pumped in 10psi. Worked great. Cost me $10 for the air pump and I already had the lower unit oil pump (which if you don't have, I'd suggest getting one)