99' Bayliner w/ 3.0 liter & Alpha 1 drive--lube oil usage concern

[jkm2730]

New boat owner here. My 1999 1750 seems to be using lube oil. It has a reservoir in the engine compartment and I have filled the reservoir up to the fill line more than once in the last 12 hours of operation. Yesterday we went out for about 2 hours of run time and it went from the full line to about 1/3 down towards the low line. There isn't anything obvious on the outdrive as I park it right out front and have never seen anything drip off of the outdrive.

For some back ground; before I bought the boat last month we had an "authorized" Mercruiser shop pull the outdrive and check it out. He found a oil shaft seal (part# 26-892361) that needed to be replaced and in the process the gear lube was changed. Other than that he said everything looked fine.

Could it be that the oil usage I'm seeing ( a few ounces) is either normal or will it stop consuming soon because the previous lube change left air in the housing? I think the total usage in the past 12 hours of run time is maybe a full reservoir bottle or slightly less but being new to these I'm a bit concerned.

Ideas or suggestions anyone?

thanx,
jeff

 

[tommays]

Re: 99' Bayliner w/ 3.0 liter & Alpha 1 drive--lube oil usage concern

I would guess that the seal is still leaking Oil into the bellows


Tommays

 

[jkm2730]

Re: 99' Bayliner w/ 3.0 liter & Alpha 1 drive--lube oil usage concern

I would guess that the seal is still leaking Oil into the bellows


Tommays

Tommays,

Is that what that seal was for, isolating the oil from the rubber boot or bellows? If you are correct does replacing it AGAIN make sense or would you suspect something else? If I'm completely lost just say so. Is there an easy way for me to check it?

jeff

 

[Don S]

Re: 99' Bayliner w/ 3.0 liter & Alpha 1 drive--lube oil usage concern

The seal that they replaced goes on the shift shaft. The one leaking into the bellows would be around the input shaft of the drive.
I've had to replace a lot of the shift shaft bushings ($15.50), never had luck just replacing the seal ($8.50) plus it takes more in labor to replace the seal that the whole bushing costs, but they don't have anything to do with leaking into the bellows.
The ONLY way to check for oil in the bellows is to pull the outdrive off and look. But, usually when you loose that much oil, you find the oil in the bilge that used to be in the bellows.
Time to pull the drive and look in the bellows. If it is dry, drain the gear lube and do a pressure check. Obviously it is only leaking when pressurized (Warm from running).