Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

[1980Galaxy]

So I'm trying to get my 1980 Galaxy I/O ready for the season and I finally got it running but I have a BIG water leak coming from the back of the engine. It appears to be coming from where the drive shaft meets the back of the engine (Mercruiser 120). This looks like a major problem and I will prolly have to pull the engine to find out. I'm a little mechanically inclined but i am no mechanic by any means.

How major of a problem would this be? Any comments/suggestions as to what could be wrong and what I could do would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for the help.

 

[Don S]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

You probably have a bad ujoint bellows. You will need to replace the bellows, ujoints, gimbal bearing, possibley the input shaft yoke and seal in the drive. You probably have water in the gear lube also, have you checked?
It is a big job.

Head up to the Adults Only sticky at the top of the page and download the manuals for your engine and drive.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

you probably need new bellows. It's a knucklebuster of a job. Go to the adults only section and download the manual for your engine and drive.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

thats what i was afraid of. btw i didn't check the gear lube, isn't that down there by the prop? the water leak is inside the boat by the engines drive shaft.

what kind of price would i be looking at for the parts? are we talkin a few hundred or over a thousand? i have a good friend who is a mechanic and will do the work for me for almost nothing so that helps

thanks alot for the advice

 

[Don S]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

btw i didn't check the gear lube, isn't that down there by the prop? the water leak is inside the boat by the engines drive shaft.

It's all connected. You FILL the gear lube from the bottom of the drive, but there is lube all the way up to the top of the drive, and the top of the drive is where the shaft is that goes thru the gimbal bearing.

i have a good friend who is a mechanic and will do the work for me for almost nothing so that helps

He won't be a friend after that job...............

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

the water leak is inside the boat by the engines drive shaft.

Ayuh,.. So far, everybody is Assuming the water is coming from the outdrive side....
But,.... It Could be coming from the motor side,...
There's a Coreplug behind the flywheel that Could be leaking....

but I have a BIG water leak coming from the back of the engine.

That quote tells me, I'm Right,+ Everybodyelse Assumed Wrong...

Was this happening In the water, or On the Muffs,..??

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

my fault, i didn't make that clear. it looks like it is coming from the ENGINE side where the drive shaft connects to it. sorry about that

and it was with the muffs on

 

[JustJason]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

then there ya go... Bondo's hit the nail on the head again.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

Bondo's good!

Here's a pic of the back of the engine behind the bellhousing. Note in this picture the core plug (or freeze plug) is missing. Chances are good that is where your leak is. Engine will need to be pulled to get to it. Not a huge job, providing you have a hoist of some sort, just takes a little time.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

the first time i started the engine this year i saw a lot of water coming out of the side of the engine and noticed one of the core plugs was out so i put it back in and thats when i noticed it was leaking from the back as well. it makes sense that it is a core plug since it seems like the same amount of water coming out of it (compared to the other one that popped out)

is there really a core plug back there tho? haha i really couldnt see all that well in the back but it looked like it was coming out right where the drive shaft is on the back of the engine.

and to try to save me money: is it AT ALL possible to put it back in WITHOUT taking out the motor?

 

[dubs283]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

Motor HAS to come out to replace the core plug. You will need to remove the bell housing on the back of the motor to do this.

And yes this is more than likely your problem. You will not see the core plug hole until you remove the bell housing. So the water runs down and the first place it escapes is by the driveshaft

Have Fun!

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

well hopefully i dont have any MAJOR problems back there and only a core plug. thanks for all the advice

 

[APPALOOSA2]

Re: Water leak around drive shaft. how major?

If you had a freeze plug on the side pop out also it sounds like you did not properly winterize the engine. I hope thats all the damage you have.

If I were you, I would take it to a Mercuiser dealer every fall and have it properly winterized otherwise it will get very expensive or it just did.