***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

[miahlloyd]

Suggestion

I have a mark twain 305 chevy sterndrive 1977 I can put the muffs on and crank her all day and I am looking into the engine bay and I am dry underneath the engine.

As soon as I put her in the water and take off I have a horrible oil leak. The bay ends up with a small amount of water and a bunch or oil mixed in,. (I think the water is from the exhaust on the outdrive the changed it to the through hull).

I am not sure what this means or where to go next.
AS I am driving I get white smoke pouring from the bay of course its oil getting everywhere.

AT home I already tried the put a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the engine bay and put the muffs on at home as well. I still get nothing not even in gear,
I cant go boating and leak oil any suggestions
How does a rear mail seal leak act?

 

[JustJason]

Re: ***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

Do you know if it's gear oil or engine oil?

Depending on how the boat is pitched (level) on a trailer vs the water, leaks may or may not show themselves.

 

[ziggy]

Re: ***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

i had me a leak that took me a season to find. so be patient.
if ya can't find the leak at home, but it leaks at the lake. clean up the engine compartment and engine. leaks always run downhill, never up hill. take the boat to the lake and splash it. don't go to the lake to have fun. go to the lake to find you leak. with that your goal that day. start looking early after to the splash. like before ya even start the engine. then again right after. once ya find the drip start following it up hill. use mirrors, flash lights, what ever ya can to assist in locating the leak. i even used a digital camera. point and shoot in places i could only stick my hand into. i had mine narrowed down but still couldn't decide what was leaking. but i had it localized. i took some baking soda (all i had on hand) or flour and spread it where ya think the leak is and keep looking. you'll find it. but ya may have to look real hard to find it.
fwiw. my leak ended up being a rust pin hole in my oil pan. it was very close to the drain hole. right behind it about an inch and a half... i kept thinking rear main too. but i kept looking, kept drying off the oil in the bilge and the engine. eventually i was sure where my leak was.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: ***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

What motor/drive?Check the oil pan.They rust out and leak under the paint.In the water the motor is at a different angle.J

 

[miahlloyd]

Re: ***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

I know it is engine oil 100% sure.

And I know its a lot of of oil.

Is there a dye that you can safely put in oil to check.

Also on the rear main seal do i have totake the outdrive off orcan i slide the engine forward just enough to get to the back. [ well i guess i would either way to realign the outdrive right?]

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: ***oil leak i cant find any suggestions

305 chevy sterndrive 1977

Chevrolet never made a sterndrive... maybe the make and model of drive system will stir up some ideas