OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

[Manipulator]

I have been getting some gear lube in my bilge. It has to be the intermediate as I noticed after last season it has been running on the low side. I have been babying it during the boating season and have been adding lube after each weekend. I have to fix this as somehow this lube is getting into the transom and in the false compartment under the bilge floor. I had to relocate my bilge pump and when removing the two screws holding it to the floor, gear lube immediately began to seep trough the holes like it was under pressure. It came out for 3 days! Probably a half pint seeped out.

Anyway, back to the leak. I was told that it has to be the seal that the drive shaft goes through and then mates with the coupler. Could there be any other way that gear lube from the intermediate can get inside the boat? If I pull the shaft (plan on replacing the ball gears too) can I do it with out removing the drive? Once the four bolts are removed that hold the shaft in place, will it just slide right out? Any special instructions on removing the seals that the shaft goes through? Reinstallation tips?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

By virtue of the fact that the IH is losing lube, it can only be the inner shaft seal. My thoughts are that you have to pull the motor to get to it. It would also be a good time to re-grease the splines on the shaft and coupler.

I assume that you would need to pull the drive and pull out the ball gear shaft as well. At any rate, you would want to make sure that the shaft is not grooved although I do not think that to be a common problem.

Someone else will weigh in to verify.

 

[Manipulator]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

Thanks Boom.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

you don't pull the engine to replace that seal, it is serviced from the back.

 

[KaGee]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

you don't pull the engine to replace that seal, it is serviced from the back.

What Mike said....
Pull the drive.
Pull the drive shaft/ball gear.
There are two seals back to back.
They can be extracted and replaced from the back of the boat.

A slide hammer and seal installation tool set are a great asset to this job.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

you don't pull the engine to replace that seal, it is serviced from the back.

What Mike said....
Pull the drive.
Pull the drive shaft/ball gear.
There are two seals back to back.
They can be extracted and replaced from the back of the boat.

A slide hammer and seal installation tool set are a great asset to this job.

Glad you all weighed in here. I wasn't sure about that. I had my IH out, had the drive shaft out, replaced it with the later larger spline shaft, swapped the bearings and replaced the rear seals but left the forward seals alone.

Glad that he doesn't have to pull the motor. Another big plus for the much maligned OMC.8)

 

[Manipulator]

Re: OMC 800...gear lube getting into the bilge...from where???

Yeah, glad to hear it too. I have heard that the shaft can be hard to slide out. Some how it can be stuck in the coupler. Hope I don't have this problem.