How to pressure check the drive .

[gabe1]

Hello

Anyone here kind enough to guide me thru a pressure check on my 1988 Alpha One drive?

I found a small amount of water and some brown sludge in my u-joint bellows.
I could not find any cracks or holes in the u-joint bellows
or shift cable bellows.

But..... The bell housing gasket and bell housing rubber gasket looked to be in real bad shape.

The gimbal bearing turns with no noise noticed

Please correct me if am wrong, I think the brown sludge is grease mixed with the water.

Because the gear lube in the drive right now is green/blue in color.(quicksilver high performance)

I cleaned the yoke and I did not notice any scratches or groves and the ujoints
Moved freely with no apparent problem.

Thanks
Gabriel

Some Pictures at http://pages.cthome.net/gabe/Boat/

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

When was the last time you had that drive off?

To me that looks like water intrusion into the bellows area because of a leak in the bellows or because of water in your bilge.

How old is the u-joint bellows?

What is the history of this boat/drive? Have you noticed a loss in gear lube?

Whatever the case, sure looks like a neglected drive.

 

[Don S]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

The reason there is water in the drive is because there is water in the bellows. The seal on the input shaft going into the drive is only designed to keep gear lube in, not water out. That is the job of the bellows.
You need a new bellows, period. You may not see the hole, but if you reuse it, you are right back to water in the drive and the bearings again.There is also a gasket kit for installing the drive. You MUST replace all the gaskets and seals every time the drive is removed.
When water gets into the drive, the drive is overfilled and when heated up the gear lube (and water mixture) blows back into the bellows. The seal surface of the input shaft seal is the one you have to worry about. IF it has a groove or covered with rust, it needs replaced. You also have water in the ujoints and gimbal bearing. Replace them now or when they fail on your vacation next summer.

 

[gabe1]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Thanks for the reply guys.

Don
I have no water in the drive the lube is nice and clean.
That's why i was confused about the brown sludge.

I will get a new bellows kit for the drive and gaskets+gimbel bearing.

The lube in the drive is free of any water I am confused right now!!

 

[Don S]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Well, if you have no water in the drive you probably caught it early. But you do have a leaking input shaft seal. That is where the oil comes from.
You need to disassemble the input shaft from the upper and check the yoke, it most likely has a groove in it and not allowing the seal to work properly.
Here's a link to the service manual for that drive. You need to look at section 3A for the procedures for repair.

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Gabe1,

When was the last time you changed your gear oil and when was the last time you pulled the drive?

 

[Bondo]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Gabe,.......
If you have No Water in the Drive,...... And It's Full of Good Clean Oil,.....

You Don't Need to do a Pressure Test.......
All that "Tests" is the Oil Cavity of the Outdrive..........

The Brown Sludge is a mixture of Grease purged from greasing the Gimbel Bearing,+ Rust,+ Water.........

If the Outdrive mounting Gasket,+ O-rings were That Bad,......
That's Probably where the Water came from.......Hopefully........

Clean it Up,+ Put it back together with Fresh Gaskets,...... Then keep at Eye on it,.....
I Think you'll be Fine........

 

[Don S]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

When you checked your drive for water, was the gear lube low?
To me, that looks like gear lube, grease, and water. Not just grease and water.

 

[gabe1]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

To answer some of your questions.
I bought this boat last year and this is my first time taking the drive out (rokie boater but learning fast) but I did
change the gear lube last August (no sign of water) and I filled it with quicksilver high
Performance gear lube which is GREEN/BLUE in color and the sludge in the bellows is dark brown in color.

Guys I drained the gear lube again a couple days ago and it was blue/green with no signs of water and the -+32 ounces that I filled with in august was still -+32 ounces coming out

Thanks
Gabriel

 

[gabe1]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

I just finished taking the drive top cap off and the gears look clean to me.

picture of gear at :
http://pages.cthome.net/gabe/Boat/index.html

 

[Don S]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

That is light milky green indicating water, Hi Performance gear lube is deep dark green and clear.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Yup, that is water mixed in there.....JK

 

[gabe1]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Well
Don I hate to say this but I think you right...again

just to make sure I went to the store and I bought some quicksilver high performance lube and I compared the new lube versus the old lube and.....yup the lube in the drive is just a little bit lighter but no white streacks on it.

I think I caught it just in time so I am going to have the drive reseal in the winter months and I am also replacing
the bellows ,shift cable, and gimbal bearing.

Thanks
Gabriel

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

gabe, I'm hoping that someone will still answer your original question.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How to pressure check the drive .

Somebody here had a Picture of the set-up they built for Testing,.......

It consists of a Pressure Pump, a Gauge,+ a Fitting.....
Along with a Vacum Pump,+ Gauge......

You need to apply about 10psi,+ Wait to see if it Leaks,....
Then Find the Leak with soapy water.....