1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

[danpa1]

I know this has probably been posted several times already but I couldn't find any. I just had a water pump kit put in my Force 50 hp(supposedly) and now that the boat is home I have noticed the lower unit oil running out of the water inlets. At first I thought maybe they had it tilted up and that was some overflow but it has been running out now for 4 days. I changed the lower unit oil and now the new oil is running out too. Is this just a seal kit fix or something worse? I thought the seal kit came with the waterpump kit? They also hit my brand new prop on their cement boat ramp and messed it up. Could they have broken something inside, making this oil run from the inlets? They are supposed to be a reputable marina but I think they screwed me. HELP Please!!

 

[bmack4life]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

when you changed it was the gear oil milky? this could be oil from the fuel, i have the 89 version and i occasionally have that happen

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

If it is running out after running the engine, it sounds like it could be the seal under the water pump. This seal is not included with the kit and is not usually changed when the water pump impeller is changed. If the seal is leaking, the water pump will pump water into the lower unit and oil will be forced up into the pump. Check to see if you have water in the lower unit.
If it is running out without running the engine, It is possible that the gearcase was overfilled. As warmer weather hits, the oil expands and could be forced past the seal into the water pump.
That seal should not be too expensive, and given the varying degrees of competence or incompetence of marina help, this is the type of job you should do yourself. Water pump rebuilds and seal changes are not difficult, even for an inexperienced person.
.It can be frustrating to leave your boat with someone else and have it come back damaged. Show the prop to them and see if they will either fix or replace it. If they don't give you some satisfaction, find another marina to give your business.

 

[danpa1]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

The lower unit oil I took out was green with no milky look. The boat has not been in the water since they changed the water pump except when they ran it in the lake to check it afterwards. The new oil I put in after it got home is yellow but like I said, boat hasn't been in the water since changing oil. The boat has been sitting in my drive since getting it back and has been leaking oil the entire time, both old oil and the new. It did not leak before they took it to work on. I have bone cancer and cannot work on this myself and no one else could get it in.They told me that I should have checked the boat before taking it off their lot. In other words, sorry about my luck. Which seal would allow that oil to go in there? The only seal I see under the water pump (in my parts catalog) is the upper drive shaft seal. It is under the water pump back plate, is this the one? No water in oil, just oil running from water inlets.

 

[bmack4life]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

i think frank hit this nail on the head, but if they hit your prop on the concrete it is possible that they did damage to the seal as well, i would get on the horn with the mechanic again, a problem like that may be hard to notice at the lot, if they were a decent business they would take care of there mistakes and customers

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

Yep, that's it --upper drive shaft seal.

 

[danpa1]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

Thanks guys ! Is the upper drive shaft seal the one that will let oil run from the water intakes or the one that lets water into the gearcase? Since I don't seem to have the latter all I need to deal with is the first, I hope.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

Smell the oil first. If it smells like gas it is unburned oil and gas mix. This would be draining down the motor leg and back into the water. It is usually most noticable when tilting motor for travel as with the carburator at an angle will keep draining gas until all the fuel pressure is gone. Previous post mentions that oil is not milky in the lower unit so water is not entering the lower unit.

 

[danpa1]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

It is pure premium lower unit oil, no gas. The green oil that was coming out when I first got it back from the marina was the oil put in by the previous owner. I drained that to see if there was water in the lower unit and there was not. Then I put new oil in and the next day, I noticed it was running out of the water intakes onto my driveway (it is yellow instead of green) so I no it is the new oil running out now instead of some leftover older oil that I didn't get cleaned out of the intake screens. The boat had sat in my drive for two months prior to the marina replacing the waterpump kit, with no leaks. Now it won't stop running out. You would think it would get below the level of the seal and stop running out.

 

[danpa1]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

I forgot to mention the motor is straight up and down, not tilted.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

Dang! I wish I was more familiar with that year. It occurred to me that if they whacked your prop that hard, that in one case they may have damaged a different part or seal. Where are the water intakes? on the torpedo of the gearcase or somewhere else?
At this point, I would take off the prop and see what is going on behind it.

See-- if the water intakes are on the torpedo, there is a spool with two O ring seals behind the prop. This spool seals the gearcase from the water pick up area. If they damaged the inner O ring, gearcase oil could run past it right into the water intake area.

Come on! Anybody else out there know this engine?

 

[danpa1]

Re: 1988 Force 50 HP L\U oil coming from water inlets

The water intake is half way between the fill hole at the bottom of the lower unit and the vent hole at the top. It is a two piece (split) lower unit. That's why I can't figure out how it can still be running out when both the upper drive seal and the water intakes are so high up. It seems that once the oils got below them,it would stop running out. I took the boat to another marina and they are going to pressure test but think the same as you. It is the upper drive seal and they think the other mechanic probably had the drive arm hang up and pull out,then when they pushed the drive arm back down they damaged the seal on the spline.