Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

[tractoman]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

You may take a peek under the impeller to check that seal. Could you be pumping the impeller housing full of lube and up the water tube?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

(seems to have proprietary funny nuts

if they're like mine, they are 12pt drive bolts. use a 12 pt socket.

When you say "do ya to the seal on the cover.

the cover has a o ring type seal on it. it should be replaced anytime the cover is removed. maybe someone didn't put it back? i hope.

large o ring

a hole in it.

i can't see how gear lub can penetrate the water passage. unless the seal is gone or there's a hole between the water side and the gear lub side.

a look down inside w/o the drive gear in place (it would come in from the left in the pic). ya can just see the top of the driven gear. i don't know if that a water jacket or not where them two odd shaped holes are, next to the bolt holes for the cover on the back side. but if that's got water in it, and leads to the water passage. the other side is gear lub. a hole between the two would not be good. if what i'm thinking is true.

edit. these pics are of an mc-1 drive. i understand you to have an alpha1. they should be similar..

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I agree with HT and ziggy........I think you have a severe compromise between the water inlet and the upper gear lube....

also, I still think you are still confused on the "quad ring"....in your post with the pics you mention the quad ring but I didn't see it, I think ziggy might have a good pic of that....

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I agree with HT and ziggy........I think you have a severe compromise between the water inlet and the upper gear lube....

also, I still think you are still confused on the "quad ring"....in your post with the pics you mention the quad ring but I didn't see it, I think ziggy might have a good pic of that....

Thanks guys I will take the cap off and have a look. The quad ring I was referring to was the large square ring in the bore inside the bell housing (you can see it in the picture). I did not show a picture of the tiny quad-ring that sits on top of the oil hole in the lower...it is blocked by the drive shaft or water tube in the pic of the lower.

Off to do some more investigating.
Tim

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I did not show a picture of the tiny quad-ring that sits on top of the oil hole in the lower...it is blocked by the drive shaft or water tube in the pic of the lower.

Ayuh,... When We talk about the quad-ring,...
This is the 1 We're talkin' 'bout...

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Ayuh,... When We talk about the quad-ring,...
This is the 1 We're talkin' 'bout...

Gotcha....guess since the big one also is square-4sided I assumed it was a quad ring also. In any case I have eliminated the "quad-ring" as the culprit...has to be a void in the upper somewhere.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Ok, stop putting oil in it until you get it to hold pressure.
Drain all the oil out of it again, roll the upper around and make sure all the water passages are empty of oil. (I would bet they are full of oil).
Plug the oil passage, and hook up your pressure tester to the vent hole in the upper housing.
Now, dump the whole thing in a tub of water and start pumping air into it and see where the air comes out. Then post a picture of where the air is coming from. You may have to turn the drive upside down, sideways or whatever, but you have to find where the air is coming out.

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I have stopped pumping oil thru it. That is a great plan and I will do just that and get back to you soon. Thanks Don. Now where is my rain coat???

Ok I am draining the oil right now..... I am betting that what I will find with the water test is that the air bubbles will just come out of the water tube which might not tell me much more than it did when the oil came out of it there.

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Ok....I filled up the tub, hooked up the pump and plugged the oil hole and started pumping. Just as I expected....water came pumping out of the upper water tube(assumption of coarse is that water had filled the gear chamber...thru the water outlet port which was at the bottom of the tank)....see pic. I plugged the inlet tube with my thumb and pumped some more and bubbles and water were now coming out of the water outlet port.

So now what? I am draining the tub and going to see if I can see anything wrong up in the outlet port and then maybe pull of the cap as was suggested to see if anything is apparently wrong.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

ok, you can take it out of the water and pull the upper cap. then look at the area shown by the arrows in this picture. Bet you find cracks in there.

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

NOT GOOD!!! ... I pulled the cap off and it was immediately apparent that there is a big problem. There are some teeth broken on both the vertical and horizontal gears, some serious gouges on the walls and I think I can see some breakage of the walls where it molds into where the drive goes out into the gimbal.(look at the first pic at just about 12 o'clock...see the jagged edge? Same on bottom other side. Pics I took are too blurry to show but take my word. This would explain the loud clanking/knocking I heard based on all these broken teeth.

So now I assume that the upper outdrive will need replacing. So the new questions begin. To find a replacement I need to ascertain the exact model etc knowing that there are different gear ratio's etc. What I can find on the outdrive is this: The boat is a 73 Century with a Merc engine 120 or 140(didn't take info from the engine yet). The outdrive has a sticker that says Mercruiser 120/140 on both sides and a SN that is scratched and hard to read but it is something like 3470613 or perhaps 3470815?

In the mean time should I preserve the lower by adding gear lube(knowing that there was water in there) while I figure out how to find and upper outdrive? I believe based on the fact the pressure test went well and it was shifting and pumping water fine that it should still be good.

This is very disappointing and frustrating with this crappy cold weather in upstate NY trying to do all this outside. I really need some help to identify exactly what I need ...there is a regular CL poster here with what he says TONS of Parts ...mostly Mercruiser so maybe I can find something compatible and not too pricey.

Thanks as always for all your learned assistance.

Tim

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

The boat is a 73 Century with a Merc engine 120 or 140

Ayuh,... She's Junk alright...

The motor you've got requires the 1.98:1 ratio...
Being that old, you'll need the upper to have the shorter input shaft too...
It's 8" or so, vs. 9" or so for all the later model drives...

And,... If any metal excaped the upper, the lower is probably gonna Go as well...

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

The news just gets worse and worse doesn't it?

First of all Thanks So Much for all of your help so far.....now the importance of more help is SO important.

Can you explain a couple of things to me....if you were me?

First how should I decide if the lower is toast also? That is, assuming it tested ok on the pressure test and did indeed seem to shift smoothly thru the gears the few minutes I did try running it?

Second.... what exactly model/version of the outdrive (besides the 1.98:1 gear ratio should I be looking for when I look/ask or find these on CL or E-bay etc)? That is....if you were me with your experience what would you look for and/or what are the most important questions to ask... Bond-0 or Don or whoever please chime in here?

I really need to get this back together and working fine and avoid having to sell it off with issues with the outdrive....as I bought it because the motor and boat are really in fine shape and very well maintained over the years. I really need to fix and sell quickly to give my older mom money for a much needed surgery.

I will post some pics of the boat and motor tomorrow but I can tell u that it only had two owners that maintained and made many upgrades and the motor purrs.(though apparently maybe the last owner was negligent in maybe keeping the gear lube topped up or something resulting in these upper issues?)

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Can you explain a couple of things to me....if you were me? First how should I decide if the lower is toast also?

disassemble and inspect.

Second.... what exactly model/version of the outdrive (besides the 1.98:1 gear ratio should I be looking for when I look/ask or find these on CL or E-bay etc)?

You have a one drive, not to be confused with an Alpha I drive. However, a one drive (MC-1), or an R, MR, or Alpha I drive will bolt up with no problem. DO NOT get an Alpha I Gen II drive.

Have a look here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=329915 and check out the ID and history for more info.

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Just saw this on CL....sent message to see if still available. Do you think it might work?

http://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/2257887024.html

Thanks Don.
Tim

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Just saw this on CL....sent message to see if still available. Do you think it might work?

http://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/2257887024.html

Thanks Don.
Tim

Ayuh,... The ad makes No mention of the ratio, or what motor was in front of it...
But,..
That's a Sell of a Deal.... it's worth 3x that..or more...

If it had a 4 cylinder Chevy in front of it,... It'll work....
Anything else, Won't...

If ya buy it, you might have to swap the input shaft from the old drive....

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I'll be sure to ask if it was a 4 cylander chevy it came off of... I am trying to remember what the guy I bought it from told me about getting the non-marine motor parts for...something like a 6 cyl 73 Nova maybe?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

I donno........ I know you're trying to do this a cheaply as possible....... I get that.

BUT do you want a great summer with uneventful boating or do you want to be buying $250 drives when each one either is the wrong ratio or junk to start with?

With that in mind, your other choice might be to spend the money up-front instead of in increments as you replace drive after drive.......

SEI has a drive you can buy (new, with a warranty......3 years)

Spending the money up front will give you a summer where you worry about what kind of beer to drink, or how to grill the steaks instead of what you do with the drive you bought off Craigslist when it self-destructs...............(I bought my current 454/bravo from Craigslist too I was lucky....!!!)


I'm just saying...........





Good luck!!


Rick

 

[timmeraw]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

Would this be compatible with my 73 Mercruiser 1.98:1 ? => 1964 Mercruiser 110

 

[ziggy]

Re: Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Lube Running Out of water intake

only fact i can provide ya with is that a '64 110 came with an 1A drive. yours is a mc-1 drive.
i've not read anything in the past that indicates a 1A drive would be compatible. like uppers and lowers from a mc-1, 1r,1mr and alpha1 are known to be interchangeable. i don't know where 1A fits into the scheme of things. 64 is getting pretty close to the invention of the stern drive though. the chart i used only goes back to 63.... the marine techs will likely have an answer for ya... i suppose ya could go to bam and see if the parts breakdown are similar? or look in s/m #1 for service procedures??? best i can do for ya..

sorry to here yer woes... bummer..