Gear Lube Hose

[GJO]

2003 260 Sea Ray 5.7 liter engine. gear lube hose has disconnected unable to find anything on how to reconnect. What steps to reattaching. I have looked but in engine compartment but I can’t identify where hose connects. Can the boat be used with hose disconnected

 

[Bt Doctur]

inside the boat or outside the boat

 

[poconojoe]

Inside:
Which end of the hose are you talking about?
At the reservoir or back at the transom?

Outside:
Out drive side or transom side?

 

[GJO]

Inside boat back at transom.

 

[poconojoe]

Inside boat back at transom.

Oh, I hope you have access. Mine was real difficult to get to with the 4.3L in there and I have the large engine bay with the big sun deck covering it, not just a dog house.

Theres a through the transom gear lube bulkhead fitting going through the transom. That's where that hose connects. Most of those fittings are plastic, a few are brass. Look for a stem sticking out. Maybe your hose just broke and all you need to do is reconnect it.

I dont know how your's got disconnected. I hope the fitting didn't break. Is there anything still connected to the end of that hose? I hope not.

It might not hurt, but I wouldn't run it with it open like that.

There are different bulkhead fittings depending on your setup.

I broke mine off from the outside while doing a bellows job. I had no idea that thing was plastic or I would have been more careful with it.

It gets pushed in from the outside and held in with an "E" clip on the inside. At least that's how mine is, your's could be different. I could barely reach it behind the engine with one hand. I had to use my phone to see it.

So, look directly behind the engine on the transom. That stud should be sticking out.

 

[Fun Times]

Can the boat be used with hose disconnected

It's not recommended as depending on the break location, (at the fitting) the oil inside the drive builds pressure which will allow the oil to flow into the boats bilge area emptying the drives oil damaging the stern drive.

Suspect item numbers 1 and 5, https://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/subassembly/30862/2686/270

 

[GJO]

What side of the boat is the fitting/nipple ?

 

[Fun Times]

Starboard side…https://forums.iboats.com/threads/broken-gear-lube-connector-merc-5-7l.309724/

 

[poconojoe]

Notice that bottom photo in post #8.
That's the inside portion of the bulkhead fitting. That's what you are looking for. That's where that hose connects.
If that is broken, you have to pull the stainless steel "E" clip and pull the fitting out from outside the boat.

The loose end of your hose should have a quick connect fitting on it that clips onto that bulkhead fitting. The o-rings are what makes the seal.
It's possible this quick connect fitting might still be attached to the bulkhead fitting and your hose fell off of that. If I recall correctly, a hose clamp holds the hose onto the quick connect fitting. But that's from memory and my memory is not what it used to be!

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[GJO]

I see I will need to move somethings out of the way to access the fitting. Thanks for the visual it helps a lot!!!

 

[poconojoe]

Let us know how you make out.
I don't think there will be much you can "move".
You'll just have to squeeze your body in there and hopefully you can reach at least one hand/arm in there.

 

[GJO]

Let us know how you make out.
I don't think there will be much you can "move".
You'll just have to squeeze your body in there and hopefully you can reach at least one hand/arm in there.

This is what I need to move to get to connector.

 

[GJO]

Its a no go I am unable to get arm /hand through. I can’t even determine if connector is still there…

 

[stang32]

rmove the starboard side manifold, riser, elbow and 2 tubes (4" rubber ) you should have the access you need. hemming and hawling about it and truying to work around not removing these items will take longer than pulling them. i had to fit myself between 2 engines, with about 6" clearance between manifolds, to access this fitting once, i puller the inside manifolds from both engines and contourted myself but i got it done.

 

[poconojoe]

If you want to get an idea of what's what....
Stick your phone back there and take some pictures.

Is there a quick connect fitting on the end of the dangling hose?
If not, the hose either broke off or somehow fell off and the quick connect fitting is still attached to the bulkhead fitting.

 

[tank1949]

If you want to get an idea of what's what....
Stick your phone back there and take some pictures.

Is there a quick connect fitting on the end of the dangling hose?
If not, the hose either broke off or somehow fell off and the quick connect fitting is still attached to the bulkhead fitting.

Or maybe a mirror will help... On my restoration, I recognized this potential lack of room nightmare and made sure I had all new lube hoses and fittings before remounting motors. Mine must be real old because it has a brass hose barb out of transom that was fed by reservoir/line attached to motor. The quick disconnect may be a MC improvement?

 

[poconojoe]

They should all be brass.
Who would of thought they would make such a vital and inaccessible part out of plastic?

I had no idea when I did my first bellows job.
I gave the hose a little slice, but it was still stuck so I pulled on it, maybe tried twisting it a bit and the barb easily broke off.

My boat doesn't have a dog house covering the engine. I have the rear bench seat across the back with the huge sun pad as a lid for the engine compartment. Maybe that helped. I was able to contort my body next to the engine and reach back to the transom, but only one arm would fit. I managed it, but I wouldn't want to do that again.
Getting the "E" clip off wasn't too hard, but getting the new clip on was a pain. I bought extra "E" clips, just in case I dropped a couple.
They are stainless steel, so I couldn't use a magnet. I tried an idea I read about, soldering the "E" clip onto the end of a screwdriver. Seemed like a good idea. if I got it on, I could just break off the solder, but that didn't work.

 

[GJO]

Can this work be done while boat is in the water

 

[poconojoe]

Can this work be done while boat is in the water

If you just need to reconnect the hose on the inside of the boat, then yes.
But if you need to replace the through transom bulkhead fitting, then no.

Have you determined what your situation is?

Have you been able to snap some pictures of the bulkhead fitting from the inside of the transom?

Has the hose just simply broken or fell off and just needs to be reinstalled?

Is the bulkhead fitting ok? If it is ok, then you just need to reconnect the hose.