Gear oil in Bilge

[RatFish]

Background... 2004 5.0L Mercruiser (carb), Alpha 1. Changed gear lube when I winterized in October of 2004. Took boat out about 2 weeks ago for its spring shake down. Gear lube in reservoir dropped about 1/4 inch as expected. Took boat out last weekend to take the kids tubing. Ran the engine hard with lots of turning (not full throttle). Opened engine cover today and the gear lube reservoir was empty! Gear oil is in bilge. Checked reservoir and hose leading to outdrive. No apparent leaks. Not sure where it's coming from. Any ideas?

 

[Don S]

Re: Gear oil in Bilge

May be the front seal in the drive has gone bad. That would fill the bellows full of drive oil which would go through the gimbal bearing and into the bilge.<br />Pull the drive..... If it's full of gear lube, you know what the problem is.

 

[RatFish]

Re: Gear oil in Bilge

Thanks Don, I suspected that the gear oil was coming through the bellows. This rig is only a year old! I did not expect problems for a couple of years. So much for buying new. Hope I can get it fixed before my vacation next week.

 

[RatFish]

Re: Gear oil in Bilge

Thanks Don, you "hit the nail on the head"! <br /><br />To my surprise, the drivetrain was still under warranty so I took the boat back to the dealer pronto. I explained the details and they confirmed your analysis. They replaced the front seal at no charge. Kudos to you and the dealer (Dredge Harbor Marina) for saving my vacation!!!