How quickly should I check outdrive for possible water?

[rbestsaints]

First timer here - my question is how long should I run the boat before pulling the drive and checking for water. I'll try to explain and keep it short - (Alpha One) - left drain plug out, flooded back end, not sure but believe water got up to bottom of engine. Dried everything out best I could for a couple days. Took it out and everything seemed to run fine (tubed with kids for couple hours). I've read it's possible that the water can get into the bellows from inside(??) - my dilemma is that I'm taking it on a vacation in a couple weeks and will run it for 4 days, lots of tubing... if there is water in the drive should I not take it out even if it seems to be running perfectly fine? Is there anyway of knowing if water got in without removing the drive? (Boat was fully winterized and lubed/bearing checked just this year).
Am I just being paranoid?? Thanks for any help

 

[harleyman1975]

There are two plugs with a large flat blade screwdriver head on them on the lower unit (starboard or right side). Take out the lower one and if there is water in the drive you will either get water or milky colored oil. If just good clear blue or brown oil put plug back in and violla you are golden. Qil is thick so only a drop or two will come out.

 

[nola mike]

Pull your drive and check the bellows area. Water won't come out of there easily by itself, and if you catch it early you can probably dry it out, grease up your gimbal and ujoints and call it a day if it's fresh water. You'd see significant water intrusion soon, but it wouldn't hurt to just change your gear oil. I blew my outdrive the first summer I had the boat. On the seawater trial, PO didn't replace the heat exchanger plug, flooded compartment. Water made it to the bellows and into the outdrive...

 

[rbestsaints]

Thanks - is this the same screw for adding gear lube oil (new boat owner and learning a lot)? I wasn't sure if the lower unit and upper unit were separate (closed) or not?

 

[nola mike]

Drain the oil from the bottom screw. Leave the top in so the oil doesn't gush out. Always fill from the bottom. The upper and lowers are connected by one small passage, so anything up top will eventually make it to the bottom.

 

[cableguy1979]

I think its more complicated than that. Yes check the screw holes as stated above be technically even if water got in the bellows it shouldn't make it into the drive because there is a seal behind the spanner nut behind the ujoint. The problem lies in the fact your gimbal MIGHT have been exposed to water or be sitting in water. it would be best to pull the drive and buy a $10 gasket kit to put the drive back on. Worth peace of mind knowing your gimbal bearing isn't sitting in water. Make sure to lube your gimbal bearing liberally. Check the drive for water and your good to go. You would have to have water pretty high in the boat to get into the gimbal though.

 

[rbestsaints]

Thanks, Nola Mike - I don't have the tools or confidence to pull the outdrive myself - I will have to have a mechanic do so, and this is why I wondered if this is something that can wait, I know a lot of times folks will winterize and then find water in the drive and replace bellows and such... I obviously don't want to cause expensive repairs, but if it can be run a few more weeks, or is it just a matter of hours before I start to ruin things like gimbal bearings?

 

[nola mike]

Yes check the screw holes as stated above be technically even if water got in the bellows it shouldn't make it into the drive because there is a seal behind the spanner nut behind the ujoint.

Not true. That seal holds oil in, doesn't keep water out. Lots of water in bellows=very likely water in drive.

 

[nola mike]

Thanks, Nola Mike - I don't have the tools or confidence to pull the outdrive myself - I will have to have a mechanic do so, and this is why I wondered if this is something that can wait, I know a lot of times folks will winterize and then find water in the drive and replace bellows and such... I obviously don't want to cause expensive repairs, but if it can be run a few more weeks, or is it just a matter of hours before I start to ruin things like gimbal bearings?

You don't want to wait on it. And even if there's no water in the drive now, maybe there will be if it's still in the bellows It's dead easy to pull the drive. 7 nuts and pull. Tools involved: 5/8" socket, 9/16" socket (I think). I can do it in about 5 minutes now. Putting it back on is a bit more work, but still pretty easy. You can't screw up removal unless you're not in forward when you pull it. Worst case you have the mechanic put it back on. But really, it is that easy.

 

[cableguy1979]

I have gotten water in bellows before without it getting into the drive. Maybe cause the drive was already full but in either case the gimbal sitting in water isn't good. Since the water only got up the oil pan I doubt it got into the gimbal or bellows. Ive done that more times than I care to admit.

Checking the drive for water is a must and very easy to do. Just follow the steps above and you SHOULD know.

 

[rbestsaints]

Thank you very much for both your replies - I'll start with the lower unit check and go from there! The water was above the bilge area (20ft bowrider) and an inch or so on the floor in the back of boat (filled the ski locker in middle) the problem was when I trailered it to drain the water the ramp was inclined so the water collected in the back of course - I'm not sure how high it would need to get to get into bellows, or where that would be behind the engine? Thanks again!

 

[nola mike]

Agreed that you'll know if there's water in the drive, But it depends on how much is in the bellows. A bit of water might not make it in, but if there's a bunch in there it likely will. It doesn't take a ton of water to rust everything up in there. Short answer is you're probably fine, I'd check the drive oil pretty frequently (I check it weekly now, easy insurance), but it's so easy to pull the drive and inspect, it would give you a ton of info and peace of mind.

 

[nola mike]

Thank you very much for both your replies - I'll start with the lower unit check and go from there! The water was above the bilge area (20ft bowrider) and an inch or so on the floor in the back of boat (filled the ski locker in middle) the problem was when I trailered it to drain the water the ramp was inclined so the water collected in the back of course - I'm not sure how high it would need to get to get into bellows, or where that would be behind the engine? Thanks again!

That's a lot of water. Probably high enough to get in there. Maybe high enough to get your starter as well...

 

[tpenfield]

I would check the bellows for water well before the U-joints start to rust.

 

[harringtondav]

If you are in a rush, change the out drive lube again and take your vacation. But you need to pull the out drive soon. Water in the bellows can ruin your gimbal bearing, and rust the seal surface of the upper gear hsg. input yoke shaft, taking out the seal as well as the yoke shaft. U joints can survive this for a while, but not long.

 

[harringtondav]

...ps. Check YouTube for the lower unit R&R. Key points: Have your shift controller engaged in FWD, full forward WOT. Remove the speedo tube from the lower unit. Depending on the age of your boat, buy a new bell hsg. gasket. They're $7-$9 for the gasket and all O rings. When you install the lower unit make sure the shift lever is forward in FWD. Verify this by turning the prop shaft CCW. It should lock. Set your trailer jack as low as it will go. If the lower unit gets stubborn the last few inches, put a prop on the shaft and rotate it CCW. This will align the out drive splined shaft with the coupler splines.

 

[rbestsaints]

Ok - I did a gear lube change - the oil came out looking great, black and thick, no trace of water - hurray! I took it out and ran it again, all seemed to be perfect. I'm thinking all is well - where exactly could water get in the bellows from the back of boat?

 

[tpenfield]

Just to be clear . . .

Water can get into the U-joint bellows from inside the engine compartment, if the engine compartment gets flooded (which yours did) water would have to be high enough to reach the height of the drive shaft that leads through the transom. It will then 'seep' through the gimbal bearing seals to what ever extent it can, not to say that it will, but it can.

From the outside of the boat, water can get into the bellows if the seal on either end is not 100%, comes loose, etc. or if the bellows becomes cracked/perforated . . . usually due to age.

With water in the u-joint bellows, the u-joints will probably rust at some point. It all depends on how much, how long, etc.

The gear lube being clean/not milky would not be any indication of water in the bellows, because gear lube does not go into the bellows. Unless the drive shaft seals fail and that is a whole other issue to contend with.

You can remove your outdrive by removing the 6 nuts that hold it onto the bell housing and the 2 nuts holding the trim cylinder rams. The outdrive (less propeller) weighs about 140 lbs (Alpha) 165 lbs (Bravo) so use both hands. You will then be starring at the inside of the u-joint bellows. You should see only grease on the walls of the bellows. If you see water, then you know your time was worthwhile, if you see gear lube, you probably have a leaking driveshaft seal on the outdrive.

Also, you will have a goo look at the u-joints and maybe can give them a pump or 3 of grease. While you are at it, take your alignment tool and check the engine alignment before you put the outdrive back on. Timing should be about 10 minutes to pull the drive, 10 minutes to check everything over, 10 minutes to put the drive back on (making sure all the seals/o-rings, shifter linkages go back as they should)

The down side of waiting to check, given the flooding incident is that any rust that may be happening will get a head start on you.

 

[nola mike]

The gear lube being clean/not milky would not be any indication of water in the bellows, because gear lube does not go into the bellows. Unless the drive shaft seals fail and that is a whole other issue to contend with.

Water *can* get through the drive shaft seal and into the drive, at least on an alpha, but certainly might not. Like Ted said, the key point is that you won't know if you have water in the bellows unless you pull the drive. Period.

 

[cableguy1979]

trust me its worth the $10 and 30 minutes of your time to pull the drive and look. Water can hurt the gimbal bearing (had a boat seize underway), the ujoints (had them get so rusted it snapped, or water in the housing which Im replacing bearing now becasue water did get in and rust the bearing enough they had to be changed. If you pull the drive and look you will have $10 in it and 30 minutes of your time.

As far as checking the engine alignment it is always a good idea but really in this situation no need to.