Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

[oldjeep]

Background - end of last season I had a problem where my drive lost most of its lube and I never did figure out where it went. Took the upper and lower off before winter with the intent of replacing all the seals.

Today I was looking at the boat and noticed that there was a few drops of drive lube on the floor - looked around and it was coming from the 2 holes that are on the bottom of the plate that is attached to the boat - I would call it the outer transom plate.

Anyone know what those holes connect to? Are they just drains for the transom plate that would indicate the lube leak is somewhere in the hose connection between the inner plate and the hose that goes to the steering part of the drive?

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

You have gear lube in your ujoint bellows. The input shaft seal is leaking on the drive. Pull the drive and have a look.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

OK - will do. The drive is actually already off and sitting on the bench. Will see if there is any lube residue in the bellows

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

OK - this is kind of weird. There is no evidence of gear lube in the driveshaft bellows - there is a small amount of grease around the gimbel but the bellows itself doesn't show any lube or signs that there has been any lube in the bottom ridges.

However the exhaust bellows has a puddle of gear lube in it - how is that even possible? Its green so I know it is gear lube and not oil. Is there a way for the lube to be leaking through sections of the drive when it is up and allow it to backfeed into the exhaust?

 

[Monterey10]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

The bushing that guides the shift rod can wear and start leaking oil. It will show around the middle part of the drive. Not hard to replace. Check the o-ring in the oil channel between the upper and lower parts of the drive.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Looks to me like the oil seal that the lower unit driveshaft goes through into the upper could also be the culprit. The shaft runs right through the exhaust passage and if the drive were up it looks like it would drain into the bellows.

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

I didn't finish reading your original thread and my first reply sure shows it.

Best thing to do is drain the oil and pressure check the drive. There are a few places that can leak. Spray some soapy water on everything, it will bubble and show you the leak.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

I didn't finish reading your original thread and my first reply sure shows it.

Best thing to do is drain the oil and pressure check the drive. There are a few places that can leak. Spray some soapy water on everything, it will bubble and show you the leak.

How do you pressure check it? Just apply an air nozzle to the port on the upper that the lube comes in? I'd have to reattach the upper to the lower, but I guess that is not a big deal

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1573303

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1573303

I saw that and it makes no sense. Attach pressure rig to vent hole and apply pressure. Isn't the pressure going to shoot right out the hole where they lube enters the upper unit from the bellhousing? And if the drive was still on the boat wouldn't the pressure just escape out the drive lube monitor?

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

You said you had the drive off the boat, so it not going to escape out of the lube moitor.
Drain the gear lube, put the plug back in the drain hole. Hook the pressure tester up to the vent screw hole and pump it up to 12 to 15 psi.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

You said you had the drive off the boat, so it not going to escape out of the lube moitor.
Drain the gear lube, put the plug back in the drain hole. Hook the pressure tester up to the vent screw hole and pump it up to 12 to 15 psi.

Right - but with it off the boat isn't it going to fire the checkvalve out of the drive? Or is 15 psi not enough to do that? Just want to make sure I know what I'm doing before I start shooting parts accross the garage.

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

That check valve has been in those drives since 93 and has never been a problem that I've heard of. I haven't blown one out, and have checked a lot of them.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

OK - thanks for all the help. Guess I'll build a pressure tester then

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

And the results - it holds 15 psi without dropping any pressure for 30 minutes so far

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Did you by any chance have the drive apart to put an impeller in?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Did you by any chance have the drive apart to put an impeller in?

Nope. The problem occurred end of last season - last day out. Only thing I did last oct was to pull the lower unit off then the upper and put them on the bench. I took the top cap off the upper to make sure the bearing had not gotten roasted. Today I bolted the lower back up to the upper, put the cap back on and did the pressure test. So it has all the same seals as when the problem occurred.

Still wondering why there is lube in my exhaust bellows, unless there is some way that it was running off the drip valve and getting down in there this winter when it was sitting in the garage with the drive off.

 

[Don S]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Only thing I did last oct was to pull the lower unit off then the upper and put them on the bench.

Then you did have the upper apart from the lower. Hard to say, maybe some fluid leaked inside the when you took it apart and over the winter it ran out of the drain hole.
You did put a new quad ring on the oil passage when you put it back together didn't you? and a new oring on the cap?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Then you did have the upper apart from the lower. Hard to say, maybe some fluid leaked inside the when you took it apart and over the winter it ran out of the drain hole.
You did put a new quad ring on the oil passage when you put it back together didn't you? and a new oring on the cap?

Nope - I've got some new ones but it went back together with the originals when I put it back together today for the test. I'm about at the point of just sticking it all back together with a few new seals and reinstalling it.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Drive lube in odd spot Alpha1 Gen 2

Well, for better or worse the drive is back on the boat with a fresh set of bellhousing to drive gaskets. Ran 1/2 quart short on gear lube so the test will have to wait until another day.