1998 Mercruiser Alpha 4.3: Have to add at least 1/4in. to drive oil reservoir after every trip.
History: Purchased this boat used. Two years ago I ran the reservoir out of oil. No alarm sounded and the upper gears were destroyed and subsequently rebuilt.
After rebuilding the oil level still was dropping. Boat shop went out of business so I took it elsewhere. They checked it out and decided that an oil seal on the upper (horizontal) shaft was bad and they replaced it.
I am still loosing oil! Where is it going? No oil Sheen on the lake, no oil in bilge, no water in lower unit oil.
I've been trying to rack my brain as to when this actually started. After the first season with the boat I changed the Drive oil. In my ignorance (I have never owned a sterndrive only outboards) I assumed that when you add oil to the lower unit air was vented out of the reservoir so I never removed the vent screw and this pressurized the drive when I pumped it full of oil. Is it possible that I damaged something when doing that?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Craig
History: Purchased this boat used. Two years ago I ran the reservoir out of oil. No alarm sounded and the upper gears were destroyed and subsequently rebuilt.
After rebuilding the oil level still was dropping. Boat shop went out of business so I took it elsewhere. They checked it out and decided that an oil seal on the upper (horizontal) shaft was bad and they replaced it.
I am still loosing oil! Where is it going? No oil Sheen on the lake, no oil in bilge, no water in lower unit oil.
I've been trying to rack my brain as to when this actually started. After the first season with the boat I changed the Drive oil. In my ignorance (I have never owned a sterndrive only outboards) I assumed that when you add oil to the lower unit air was vented out of the reservoir so I never removed the vent screw and this pressurized the drive when I pumped it full of oil. Is it possible that I damaged something when doing that?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Craig
