Grear lube in gimble housing
 

Ok guys! I am looking for a little help. I can't figure out how gear lube is getting into the gimble housing. Two seasons ago I swapped out a Bravo with a new XR drive (old style housing) using the same gimble. Every since then I have been getting lube in the gimble, pooling near the gimble bearing. I might loose a 1/2 qt over 30hr. When I first started looking, into finding the missing lube, I pulled the drive and pressure tested at 14lbs for 3 days during this time I would turn the shaft and rap with rubber mallet to impart vibration. I had no leak. Any Ideas?

The retainer for the input shaft on the first XR's did not have a lip to hold the seal in. It would slide forward and then leak, then destroy the seal..
Look to see if behind the input yoke you can see part of the seal. If you can, yours doesn not have a lip and it may be the problem. There is a replacement kit that gives you a new retainer and seal and it has the lip to keep the seal from pushing out.
Hope this helps.
Dick

Thank for your reply Dick. I will look at that when I pull the drive this weekend. One question, if this is the case would I hold pressure on a leak test?

Thats a good question, I have never tested one that was leaking, just replaced it. I have seen them push the seal forward until it destroyed the seal and then I know it would not hold psi.
Common sense says it should leak on a test, but with it spinning, it may be a different story. Could only leak when it is spinning. I really dont know. There are only two seals in that area.. one is the oring on the ID of the snout and that should show up on a leak test. Then there is the seal on the yoke.
Check to see what retainer it is.. Then you can pull the pinion out and see what the oring looks like. I would replace both and look at where the oring rest on the snout and the seal where it rides on the yoke.. Some 600grit helps there.
Dick

Thanks again...

Yw!