Oil leak?

[829]

I just bought this new to me boat. The engine is an 85 Force. Boat is an '87 Bayliner Bass Striker. I ran it about 7 minutes on the lake this past saturday and it has rained ever since. When we reached our location, I turned the boat off and that was it. I guess the lights on for a couple hours drained the battery and the engine would not fire up again. I tried about 5 times with only about 30 seconds between each attempt, (First time boat owner, just got the manual and it say wait 15 minutes between each try). I used the trolling motor to get back to shore. The following images are what drained out of my engine when I let it down today after I noticed a small trickle of oil coming down the underside of the engine. Please tell me this is normal. This same small trickle was there when I first got the boat as well, but I thought nothing of it, because I had traveled 150+ miles to get the boat home.

 

[JUSTINTIME]

Re: Oil leak?

are u pre-mixing gas
looks like u r too rich on oil

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

It was pre-mixed when I got the boat. It still has half a tank.

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

On another forum, someone seems to think this is a failed o-ring and/or oil seal. Could running too rich a mix cause the leak as shown or does it look more like a failed o-ring/seal?

 

[JUSTINTIME]

Re: Oil leak?

where it is leaking from is the exhaust drain holes to keep the lower unit cool while running
so i would say it is comomg from motor
how is the compression

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

I do not know.

 

[OptsyEagle]

Re: Oil leak?

I have a 1975 9.9Hp Evinrude that always leaks a little oil from the lower unit area around the water exit holes. When I enquired about it this is what I was told.

"Black or Gray Oil Coming Out of Upper Exhaust Vent &/or Lower Unit Holes : The black oil that seeps out of the motor is just unburned oil from the gas mixture. The black color is coming from the carbon created during the pistons firing situation & is accumulated unburned inside the exhaust housing. The excess oil in the fuel is mixing & softening up the carbon, creating the black oozing oil. This oil seepage may not be evident until a day or week after usage, & then will seep out up to a couple of weeks later. It seems best for most boaters to then simply live with the idea that you may have to wipe it down after each usage. "

I believe this is normal for 2 stroke engines but it does seem like you have a little more than I do dripping down your lower unit. Perhaps you might be running a little high on the oil content in your gas or your spark is not strong enough to burn up this stuff or your spark plugs are too cold, etc. If you are not sure about the gas mixture, I would try and drain it if you can and mix up some new stuff to be sure. As I said above, this oil dripping will occur anyways and is normal, just it may not be as much as you have here, if you make sure everything is set up as the manufacturer would suggest.

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

Thank you for the reply. I am going to call tomorrow for the cost of a tune-up. I do not know how to drain the game, it is in a metal enclosed box.

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

Is it possible that it could also be water in the motor? The motor has been lifted since saturday.

 

[OptsyEagle]

Re: Oil leak?

I can't say about the water, but in further reflection on my comments that it looks like you have a little more oil drippage than I get when I take my motor out from the lake, it could simply be because your motor is about 8 times bigger than mine and hence probably uses fuel at a rate that much higher.

I do think this must come from the unburned fuel and carbon within the exhaust system condensing and dripping down, because if you think about it a 2 stroke engine does not have any oil in it, except for what should have been burned and of course the gear oil. In my engine this drip comes from above the gear oil section (I cannot tell on your engine) and therefore the only oil left to drip is my oil in the gas and the carbon I am sure must be in the exhaust.

So I don't worry about it too much (but I do sypathize with the poor fishes who have to deal with this stuff. No wonder the environmentalist are getting their backs up against 2 stroke engines).

Perhaps other boaters could reply if they get a similar drip when they remove their motors from the water.

 

[829]

Re: Oil leak?

I just got my boat back and the reason for the oil is:

Two of the plug wire coils were broke and the spark was jumping gap. It caused a flooding situation is what I was told.

I will put it on the lake this weekend. Thanks for the help guys.