Outdrive Oil
 

I have a 496 HO running on a Bravo 1 drive. This is my first year with the boat and I lost a good bit of outdrive oil. The oil was changed in the fall. then when I took it out for a good days run I came back on the waring alarm was going off. I had lost enought fluid to go down past the sensor in the resivor. Leaving maybe a quarter inch in the fluid tank. Is this comon after changing the fluid ? maybe an air buble or somthin ? Or should I be concerned there is a bigger problem here ?

Probably just had some air in the drive. It is common for the reservoir level to drop after a lube change. Usually it doesn't drop that much though.

I used to encounter that problem on occasion, now, when filling the drive, I re-install the top plug and continue filling from the bottom of the drive until I see a minimum level in the reservoir, at that point I stop and top up to the full line. This seems to eliminate any air pockets.
Have someone watch the reservoir, as it is easy to overfill the bottle using this method.

Nice idea. I will do it this way from now on.

This is normal. Takes an outing or 2 to get all the oil back at the top.
Refill to the top line and you'll be fine - unless you start seeing oil in the bilge. Then you DO have a problem.

No oil in the bildge yet !

Thank god

Ok - boat out of the water and on the trailer. It turns out the oil is leaking some where on the bottom and getting into the bildge. The bottle is all clean and in good shape the hose as far as I raech to trace it is clean as well.

How dificult is it to get to the connection at the bottom where the resivor hose goes into the outdrive. Can it be done by pulling the outdrive or am I looking at having to pull the whole motor for a stinking loose hose ?

You should be able to follow the hose down to where it goes through the transom assembly, if you cant get your finger on it, tie some q-tips to a coat hanger and see if that is the leak, if not then it's probably the carrier assembly seal seal on the outdrive input shaft. You would have to pull the drive to see that. If it's leaking bad it fills the bellows and seeps back through the bearing

I would say its leaking pretty good. A 20 minet ride to get the boat back to the launh and pull it out the whole reserve bottle was empy again,

Can it come threw the u joints ? I read a past pot here and that was what other though about a simular issue.


Also any good mechanic shops in CNY - Cicero are with a quick turn around time ??

If it's still bright green oil in the bilge, it may be the hose/bottle leaking, if it's somewhat dirty oil then it has come through the bellows most likely IMO

If it's the yoke seal you should be able to get a 1 day turn around on it.

Before you bring it in tell the service tech what your serial numbers are so they can make sure they have a spare yoke in stock. Sometimes just the seal goes bad and you can get away with polishing the yoke up with some 1K grit wet sand paper, other times it wears a groove in the yoke and you need a new one. It's also a good time to re-seal the rest of the upper end (make sure they replace the shift shaft seal)

Sounds like you blew the carrier bearing seal on the outdrive.
Kinda common.
http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...%28STANDARD%29

#28 - 31

IMO ?

Is that the same as a carrier bearing seal or yoke seal ?

Sounds like there could be many places that would cause this issue. I called a local guy to see what there turn around time was and he said most likely the input shaft . So now Im fairly sure I need to have some more knowledged then myself look at it.

BillR has posted the correct diagram with the correct parts, it is where the yoke goes through the carrier bearing, the seal runs on the yoke and the yoke can become grooved. Also called the input shaft seal etc.

Thats the same way as me, and I make sure when I pump do make air pockets while pumping to fast

The merc diagrams always give certain parts/seals names but "in general" it's refered to as a "Upper Yoke Seal". Most mechanics will know what you're talking about.

If you call it a "carrier" seal they may get confused (or at least I would) and think you're referring to the propshaft seals or the o-ring that seals the propshaft "carrier" in the lower unit.

No biggie just remembering when people would explain stuff to me and customers not being able to explain what the problem was...:drink:

Thanks guys. I dropped it off today with my fingers crossed.