I think this means water intrusion

[badrano]

Did my winterization dance today
Seeing the color of the gear oil makes me think I've got a water intrusion problem. What should be the next step? Pressure test it? Just replace the seals? Or does the drive need to be pulled apart to check for any internal damage?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Pressure test when empty

Go from there

 

[achris]

Crackle test time....

 

[Scott Danforth]

The crackle test is a standard laboratory test to detect the presence of water in lubricating oil. A drop of oil is placed on a hotplate that has been heated to approximately 400° F. The sample then bubbles, spits, crackles or pops when moisture is present.

 

[poconojoe]

I can't tell the color from your picture. To me, it just looks dirty.
Is it black (dirty, normal) or is it beige, tan or milkshake looking?

 

[badrano]

Unfortunately I've already discarded the old oil.
I just remembered, since I just got the last year, when I changed the gear lube, it was a brownish colored lube and it looked clean in the sense it was a solid brownish color. I'm wondering if the color I'm seeing now is the greenish lube mixing with what ever residual brown lube from last years winterizarion.
Anyways, I will do a pressure test. What thread type is the drain plug? Should the drive be removed or stay on the boat?

 

[badrano]

I can't tell the color from your picture. To me, it just looks dirty.
Is it black (dirty, normal) or is it beige, tan or milkshake looking?

It's tannish looking on the outside edges as it's draining out.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Unfortunately I've already discarded the old oil.
I just remembered, since I just got the last year, when I changed the gear lube, it was a brownish colored lube and it looked clean in the sense it was a solid brownish color. I'm wondering if the color I'm seeing now is the greenish lube mixing with what ever residual brown lube from last years winterizarion.
Anyways, I will do a pressure test. What thread type is the drain plug? Should the drive be removed or stay on the boat?

3/8-16

drive empty

best off the boat (so you can use soapy water to find leaks)

 

[badrano]

I still need to do a pressure test, but for discussion purposes, if I were to find a leak in the lower unit on the drive shaft, what seals/o-rings would need to be replaced. For example, looking at the parts diagram #40 (o-ring) and #42 (oil seal), would both of those get replaced? I see other seals/o-rings to, so I'm not sure what all would need to be replaced.
Other than the bearing carrier tool to remove the shaft, are any other special tools needed? Looked at a couple videos and it doesn't seem that difficult to remove the drive shaft.
I'm just trying to get an idea of how involved it would be to replace seals.

 

[achris]

I still need to do a pressure test, but for discussion purposes, if I were to find a leak in the lower unit on the drive shaft, what seals/o-rings would need to be replaced?

Drive leaking oil

My drive is leaking oil. (1966-1991) (See next post for Gen II) So, you have a Mercruiser 1 drive (MC-1), R, MR or Alpha One and it’s leaking oil. You want to know where from and how to fix it. The first thing to consider is getting a few tools and some test equipment and running a pressure...

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