Offshoreonly.com - Oil leak, never would have guessed it.

I had the same problem with my old 260 mercriser a couple of years ago but it came with something else, a vibration. I first noticed it when screws started to back out in the railing, windshield and dash panel. About a week later I started to notice a slight vibration when I would touch the railing while cruising. The oil leak started about two weeks later. Thinking it was the front crank seal I pulled the balancer and noticed something didn't look right. I set the balancer on the floor next to one from another motor and the marks where off by about 30 degrees. The outer ring had slipped. That explained my vibration. I put a new seal in and used the other balancer and guess what.........still leaking oil. I called my crankshaft grinder and he told me to put some rtv around the washer and bolt. He said that a balancer with a slipped ring will vibrate and wear the crank snout and key way by a couple of thousandths of an inch and can cause a leak. So beware, and check the balancer.