Kieffer4

Saw some fluid coming from the top cap on my XR drive while on the trailer. I pulled the cap and it was busted. pretty clean break and almost no debris. Oil drained clean with no shavings or other material. Question is:

Can I just replace the cap and top bearing, poor some fluid through it to flush it out, and bolt it back together or should I pull the drive and have it dissasembled and inspected.

Thanks

I'll have to post the pics later. My internet is running too slow to get them uploaded right now...

t500hps

If drive fluid got out.....water likely got in. Right now you need a top cap and a tear-down/re-assembly and likely no other parts......$500-600 bucks. If something else is wrong and you simply put on another top cap you could destroy the entire drive AND have to come home on one engine......I know which one I would do!!!!

Vinny P

I agree with the tear down. Which cap did you have on the drive? If it was the thin Merc cap, now is your chanve to upgrade to a good cap. I would recommend, either the later model XR ribbed cap or Teagues billet cap. If you dont want to upgrade, I have a couple of thin Merc caps I can sell you for a reasonable price.

Mr Gadgets

Kieffer,
Was this on the LH drive? Is the tower snapped off the cap, if the cap was just pushed up.. then I would pull the back can and look for a broken tooth on the upper gear if it was the LH. The caps dont break without being forced.. Check into it deeper. And definetly put a good cap on.. But it has to be setup for the new cap..
Hope this helps.
Dick

Kieffer4

It was the starboard drive (standard rotation) which has me even more worried. I'm pulling the drive tonight and dropping it off to have it gone through. I've been looking at some aftermarket caps. For the price of the stock one you could go aftermarket. Only difference is I would have to buy another one for the port drive.

I'm actually relieved that I discovered it before launching. It would have sucked to blow up the drive....

Kieffer4

The tower did snap off. I'll get some photos up today.

Edit:

Here are a couple shots. You can see where a piece bounced around and chewed up the top a little. When you look down in the drive everything other than the thrust bearing top (big washer on top of the bearing) looks really good. I'm hoping the gears are okay.....

http://kieffer4.smugmug.com/Hobbies/...10834965_z9EQi

Kieffer4

#20 shows some light damage. Everything below that point looks reall good. Everything above it is toast. Won't know for sure until it comes apart though...

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...FXZ%2DDrive%29

t500hps

IMO this is the result of something else breaking, not the other way around.

gater3

Kieffer,
I believe this is a classic case of driving your boat too slowly. Like a gramma bringing her buick in every 6 months to have the spark plugs changed due to excessive carbon buildup.

Mr Gadgets

Kieffer,

Usually the the drive will be LH to do this damage.. Make sure there is no other problems.. in the gear stack.
The Ribbed top cap for the XR has a steel tower in it. And comes with race and inner bearing (which I change). Add some studs and it is a very strong cap/setup for the money. After market usually sell them without the race or inner bearing and no steel tower.. so make sure you compare apples to apples. Just an FYI. You also need to check the race depth on the new cap compared to the old one.. or have the upper setup for proper gear lash.

Dick