I hope I will be able to explain this well enough for someone to help me out. First, I have a 1974 Sea Ray SRV190, Mercruiser 888, 188hp Ford 302. When I recently got this boat, the previous owner just had it out and hit something with the prop. It no longer had any drive to the prop. He told me he thought it was the pin that's in the prop shaft that holds, I believe, the clutch pack, not sure on that. Anyway I ordered a couple of them at $2 a piece and a new water pump kit. First I drained the gear oil which was murky in color, which I assume means water in there. After lowering the unit, I find that the drive shaft is broke in two right were it comes out of the water pump. This didn't make my day. The question I have is about what I found after taking the lower off. In the top of the unit in the area where the shifting shaft comes up out of the lower, was a bunch of wet muck. I can't think of anything else to call it. No metal shavings, or oil in it, just damp stuff like fine mulched up leaves of something. Probably something in the water that the water pump may have brought in. It was only in that area where the shifter shaft comes up through. Does anybody have any thoughts what it could be and where it came from? Is it a problem with my upper or is it nothing to worry about? I hope I explained the issue well enough. Thanks for any input.
