Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

[lmjpsl]

I have a 1976 OMC with a Stringer Stern drive. I was running the boat in the lake and it got hot. Once at home, I took out the thermostat, put it in hot water and it opened. I put the garden hose to the pivot cap but the boat still got hot. I put the drive in a tub and there was no water flow to the thermostat from the hose from the intermediate housing. I figured it was the impeller.

I changed the impeller with an entire kit. I put it back together making sure everything was correct. I started it with the hose attached and water flows to the thermostat and gets to the hoses of the exhaust manifolds and to the circulation water pump. However, no water is coming out of the exhaust on the stern drive. I tried putting the drive in a tub (I've run it this way in a tub before and the water flow has worked correctly) and there wasn't a water flow.

I opened the dip stick screw on top of the upper gear housing and oil mixed with water (looked like a grayish milk shake) was on the dip stick and it was over full. When I had drained the oil before replacing the impeller, the oil looked fine. Now I don't have a water flow, on the boat, that is (lol), and water is getting into the oil in the upper gear housing.

Please help!

 

[NW Redneck]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

Sounds like you have an obstruction in your manifolds/risers. How old are they? Used in salt or fresh water?

As for the upper gearcase, did you replace the shaft seal and grease the fitting? (On the front of the leg about 1/2 way up, it should be under a threaded plastic cap.) If that seal/fitting is not greased, it will let water in. I would just get an upper gearcase seal kit and do them all. Not hard to do.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

Thank you, NW Redneck.

I replaced the manifolds and risers less than two years ago. They're in good shape. I look into the seals.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

Could the circulation water pump on the engine hamper the water flow so that the water does flow through the engine?

 

[wire2]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

Has the boat been stored in a freezing environment? My '84 stringer let *some* water in past worn seals, which later froze, cracking the case at the water passage. Luckily, I had a spare upper case. Dealer quoted $1400 for a new one.

To verify the upper case integrity, put a fitting in the oil drain, put 2-3 psi of air into it, see if oil seeps out somewhere.
OR; drain the oil, put a fitting in and pull a vacuum, see if it holds.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

The boat has not been in freezing temperatures.

 

[NW Redneck]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

What motor are you running? I can scan a pic of the cooling system and post it for you. It still sounds like an obstruction somewhere. What did the impeller look like when you changed it? Any pieces missing? Even if the engine water pump was bad, you should still get water circulating when on the garden hose as the pressure will push the water all the way through.

As for the upper g/c, here is a diagram:
http://epc.brp.com/Index.aspx?lang=E&s1=0198d995-3015-46ee-80ec-19a2b8deb150

The seal I refered to is #80, and the grease fitting is under the cap #37.

EDIT: the link above won't go directly to the diagram, so under 'Products' select 'Sterndrive', then your model year, then the engine HP, then model#. Scroll to the bottom of the list of diagrams and click on 'Upper Gearcase Group'

There are also diagrams for the various cooling systems.

 

[Cuyose]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

It does sound like you have an obstruction somewhere as I have a very similar outdrive and have no problem with the water circulating all the way through and existing out the pickup hole. You wont get water coming out the actual exhaust until you run the engine. At least on mine.

You also need to be EXTREMELY careful with hose pressure. If you are attaching the hose to the outdrive adapter and just letting her rip, you are most definitely pushing water past the seals. You really only need about a quarter flow, enough for a moderate kitchen faucet type stream to be dropping out the outdrives water pickup screen. Its going to look like its falling out the hole, not gushing.

The outdrive seals aren't meant for positive pressure like that.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

The motor is a Ford 302.

I will pressure/vacuum test the gear case. It appears that I need to do a reseal job. I haven't done this reseal job before. I have the manual and I will try to go from there.

It's just odd that the water flow had stopped before I changed the impeller and still there's not a flow after I changed it. There was not a flow blockage because when I attached the garden hose to the pivot cap, water flowed out of the water intake hole on the drive. Also, when I took the hose off of the thermostat housing (the one from the intermediate housing) there was water coming out of it only when I started the motor; nothing came out with the engine off.

I'll disassemble the impeller kit and put it back together.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

After dropping the bottom part of the outdrive away from the gear housing, I put the garden hose to the pivot cap. Water came directly down from the opening where the impeller shaft is. I'm sure this is normal. However, there were a drops of water trickling down on the outside of the impeller housing and the swivel housing. I don't think these drops should be there. Also, when looking at the swivel housing from the bottom, should only the shaft turn when the engine is cranked?

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

I figured out my water flow problem. It was an I-D-10-T type error (IDIOT).

I had taken off the drive and when putting it back on, I turned the metal plates in the pivot housing around. Although they screwed on correctly, when on incorrectly, the plate covers the hole in the intermediate housing that flows to the engine.

I discovered this by holding a canister with water, and continuously filling it with the garden hose, under the impeller with the bottom half of the outdrive off. The water was flowing through the holes on the outdrive but not making it through the pivot caps.

This solution let me know that human error can be just as harmful as mechanical error.

 

[Cuyose]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

Good you found it, you will still need to change your fluids in the upper and lower if there is any sign of water in there, but after it looks clean just still be careful of the hose pressure you use.

 

[lmjpsl]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

I need to do a reseal job of the upper gear housing. One says it is not a difficult job but someone else says I need special tools. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[NW Redneck]

Re: Water in Upper Gear Housing, OMC Stringer

I did mine without any special tools, however I didn't pull the ball gear assy/seals as they were in good shape.