roscoe HELP!!!!

[thisdj1]

i smelled the unknown substance and found no signs of gas....just oil...so when i changed the lower unit grease it all came out as an extremely white substance...so i have a problem somewhere...it possibly could be where the lower unit bolts to the leg of the motor....i can see where they have been taken off at some point...so now i have new lower unit grease in it and am wondering what my options are as far as determining where the leak could be...also reference the starter...do you need a swivel socket to get the bolt off???? i think i have located the bolt pointed out in the picture however its being somewhat difficult to get to. there are also a couple of wires i have noticed that arent plugged in....on some of these things if i take pictures could i load them on here for you to see??? im just starting to get worried that i have alot bigger problems than i ever thought....once again thanks for all the help.

 

[roscoe]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

I don't know and I don't care. You're on your own.

 

[roscoe]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

Just kidding.

The lower unit has to be removed every few years to service the water pump, so no surprise that there was evidence of the bolts being removed.

Since the white ooze is coming out the top of the lower unit, I would guess the driveshaft seal or the shift shaft seal is the culprit. These seals are about $4 a piece, or the seal kit for the entire lower unit is $18, from any Mercury dealer, or mercruiserparts (dot) com

The only way to determine which seal is bad, is to pressure test it. 5-10# or air pressure applied to the drain hole should show you which one is leaking. A bicycle tire pump works well for this.

But if it were mine, I would replace all the seals and be done with it.

Getting that starter off is a pain.
Remove the 2 screws near the top of the starter.
Remove the screw just behind the starter, that holds the main wiring harness.
Remove the 2 screws that hold the switchbox mounting bracket.
Move this bracket to the side and you should be able to get at the starter lower mounting screw(s).

Might be able to id the wires for you if you tell us the colors, and what they are attached to.

I would pick up a CLYMER Force Repair Manual before tackling the seals on the lower unit. Its not hard, but you will be glad you have the manual to walk you through it.

Of course, you could always take the lower unit to a repair shop, and let them do it, but be prepared to pay for a few hours labor.

Next question?
Keep us posted.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

Man you truly had me worried there for a second...Well i think im going to attempt to do some sort of a pressure test if i can rig up the whole rubber in the vent hole with the air pump trick. i think it is coming from where the lower unit attatches to the leg... i guess my only reasoning for that is the only place i noticed the grease was from the cavitation plate up to where the l/u bolts to the leg...replacing all of the seals seems to be a daunting task....however i do like youre thinking of doing it and getting it over with...my clymer manual is en route so that should help...now on to the starter i do have all of the misc screws and bolts removed other than the one that is keeping it attached from the bottom...it appears that its around a 1/2" and it is in the port side...its just at a very awkward angle so thats what i will be tackling later today...so i think if and when i get it off im going to check all of the connections on it and to it and see if i can spot any bad connections. i should also be getting some pictures loaded up reference some of the things i had questions on so that should help out. I do know right off there was a purple wire that isnt plugged in. i believe it is a female end and has the rubber cover over it and everything however i dont know what it should go to. there are also 2 wires coming off the power plug thing i had to unscrew to get to the starter that arent plugged into anything. they areni on the front side of the plug. but i think im starting to ramble and sound confusing so ill see what i can get done from here, get some pictures, and come back firing with some more questions. i do want you to know that all of your help is like a god send...i have done nothing but worry about this darned motor since i got it home and its nice to know that ive got some help out there...my old boat had a 30 horse evinrude that spoiled me....years of nothing but great running pleasure...i never had to do anything to it so this is all new...ill check back in later with my latest update...once again thanks for all your help!!!!!!!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

purple wire - most likely signal wire to the tachometer.

Probably gonna have to open up the starter and clean all the carbon dust out.
You can flush it with wd40 and clean it up with paper toweling and q-tips.
Getting it back together can be tough.
A thin rubber band around the brushes helps. Tie a string onto the rubber band, use the string to pull the rubber band out, after you have it assembled.

There is no seal between the lower unit and the midsection.
The seals are in the top of the lower unit.
Part numbers 33 and 36 in the above photo.

Once you drop the lower unit, remove the water pump, and the driveshaft seal and the shift shaft seal are right there.

There is a seal (#46) between the two halves of the lower unit.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

ok...well i got the starter removed....task number 1 complete...any suggestions on certain things i should do when i get it back on...ie loctite the threads or anything of that nature....now onto the next set off issues...in the picture of the wiring i have labeled their colors. they come off of the power plug thing...they werent hooked up and wasnt for sure what their purpose was...reference the purple one it probably is the tach...this boat doesnt have a tach which would explain why it isnt hooked up. back to the starter it has a date of 11-02-93 or atleast im assuming thats the production date....so would that mean its a 94 motor??? in the second picture i have circled the area that i located the oil substance...as i said before i didnt really notice it anywhere else except there...i think im going to get new seals for the fill and vent screws and rig something up to pressure test it and hope that by some act of god maybe it was just the screw seals...but thats where i stand now...my grandpa is currently taking apart the starter to inspect and clean it. i will be keeping you posted on my trials and tribulations. my clymer should be here the first part of this week so that will help as well. well thanks in advance for your help in this post...you truly are a lifesaver...thanks so much again.....

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

tryin to figure out how to get the danged picture thing to work....ill try it again here.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

third times the charm here i guess...hopefully this helps...i look forward to hearin what ya have to say...thanks!!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

You can email the photos to me, and I will post them for you.
roscoe33@mac.com


Yes the motor could be a 94, or it isn't the original starter.

 

[roscoe]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

Still trying to make sense of the wiring.
I have several wiring diagrams, but they aren't matching up.

If the motor is a 1988-1992B, it should have the purple signal wire for the tach.

If it is 1992C or newer, it should have a grey tach wire.

Tan or orange is usually used for the overheat temp sensor.
Can't find a brown/white stripe on any of the diagrams.

Can you email a photo of the ignition components?
Coils, powerpack, switchbox, etc.
Perhaps I can narrow down the year if I know which of the 3 different ignition systems you have.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!

ill try to get the pics tomorrow...im not exactly sure what all of that is but ill just take a bunch of pictures of all the stuff under the hood. also what all wire connections should i take off and check for good connection before i try to put the starter back on??? the motor thing kind of has me confused as well...its in the serial number range of a 93 or 94 but some of the other stuff just dont seem to add up. ill get ya some more pictures and see what you can come up with.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!----UPDATE

Re: roscoe HELP!!!!----UPDATE

alright...well i got the starter replaced and all seems ok except the armature has a distinct burnt type of smell...at this point would it just be better to go buy a knew starter or attempt to continue using this one??? like i said before it is the original starter..i found one on ebasic for 119 but was wondering if you knew anything about there product..as far as if its a reputable product or if there is a reason theyre cheaper than everyone else...and i think im going to try and tackle doing a total lower unit seal replacement as soon as i get my clymer in.i think i found the right one...oem # 26-820645A1.. ...any words of wisdow or advice before i undertake this endeavor???...im also going to try to get the pics you requested sent on wednesday... so thats where i stand so far....once again thanks for the help