86Nova2

I just dewinterized my old 86 Wellcraft Nova 2 started it on the hose pipe both engines everything seemed perfect! Well got done messing around with it parked it back up. Went to tinker today and look at one of the outdrives and there are 2 what looks like "weep" holes right behind the water pick ups and one of them has some oil coming out of it and leaking down and running off the skeg and Drip marks a gear oil spot. What next? Maybe run it again change fluid etc (which current oil is clean snd no water) and didn't leak all winter on clean concrete floor. Untill now...im puzzled

BUP

iTrader: (9)

In the upper were the lower unit driveshaft stabs all the way up. the very upper seal is leaking. There is one below that as well but that's the easy one to get to. The OEM service manual and a few drive tools is highly recommended if you are going to tackle this yourself.

The 2 seals are called oil seal driveshaft housing and the other is called oil seal gear chamber. You would be better off buying a upper reseal kit and doing that as well. I promise I know what I am talking about here.

and A fyi I have OEM Mercruiser service manuals 4 sale .and the seal kits or the seals.

86Nova2

I am sorta thinking about just replacing both drives with the ( sei) company anybody ever had any luck with that?

SB

iTrader: (1)

I've beat the living crap out of one. Still fine.

That said, you gonna' buy another drive over an oil leak ?

dereknkathy

Very few complaints about SEI except for the paint. But an oil keak is about 8 to 900 cheaper than a new drive..

86Nova2

I agree being ALOT cheaper but these drives have alot of pitting and corrosion on them and the more i look at them the more i dislike them haha....how hard is it to replace these seals?

airjunky

iTrader: (2)

Most of the ones i have done have come on the back side of a bungled impeller job . Last one was a flubbed drive pull for whatever reason that distorted the case at the bell where the lube goes to the bottle on a g2
Wasnt to hard to fix but hung in there for a while before leaking which had me thinking the worst.
Drop drive next day pull sample from bottom plug ,look for water in oil at the bottom (good clue )
Pressure test to 10 , run it if not leaking (now your testing that seal pack ) usually that leak is lower seal upper case shift seal sometimes comes up from under pump and seeps from the weeps when drives up but not the intake holes . If nothing else blast it with brake cleaner fill it put it up and look carefully up in there from behind with a mirror

airjunky

iTrader: (2)

That was a lot of jibber jabber to basically say manhandling the lower back into the upper seems to create lots of newly leaking upper shaft seal packs on alphas in this neck of the woods . And it should leak up,or down . No water pocket in the bottom of green drive fluid when u pull plug fresh in morning after day on lake

86Nova2

Out in the garage with the boat now taking lower unit off. I got it separated but haven't taken it all the way off but when I seperated it aboit .100 thou. Oil started coming out between the 2 this isn't normal I dont believe cause I have taken Lowers off and never spilt a drop of oil before???

BUP

iTrader: (9)

you have to drain oil completely before you split drives. if you were pulling the whole drive as not separating the halves (lower & upper) then you can leave the oil in.

this might be a job for a tech for you to pay and see if he will show you how to do this. Did you put the shifter in fwd gear to. If not you can cause damage trying to separate them..

Do you have the service manual to follow correct procedures. Have to add its like taking your car in for major repairs - you surely would not want a guy to work on it that has never been trained or read the service manual. I understand you have to learn from the start but - the service manual would be a great starting place. Just saying.