So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

[rhillman75]

To make things a little more easier and a little more cost effective to where the marina would not have to pull the outdrive I decided to do it myself and just take both the upper and lower unti to them. I know it was only a "guesstimate", but DAMN, is this really a $600-$700 job just to re-seal everything since I had water coming into the bildge and the bellows had drive oil gear sitting in it? I didn't have the tools or firsthand knowledge, but I was expecting something a little less. If this is a "usual" guesstimate, then I have alot to learn about outdrive re-sealing. I just figured to have it gone through since it was a 1996 unit and it was the only thing that has not been gone through. Any thoughts?

 

[Pete104]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

Is resealing the going to keep the water out of the bilge?

 

[rhillman75]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

Is resealing the going to keep the water out of the bilge?

To be honest... I have had conflicting stories of what caused 2 gallons of water to enter the bildge in under 10 minutes when the motor was running and in gear. The bellows was leaking earlier in the summer from a hole in which it was replaced and now, 3 months later, it once again has drive oil in the bellows. I did verify this time that there was no water mixed in with the drive oil that was in the bellows so I think the "seal" on the bellow was fine. All I can tell you was if I had the boat in the water and I looked over the sundeck platform you could see drive oil emerging from the prop coming to the surface of the water. As far as the water leak??? I have know idea where it is coming from, hencing the conflicting stories from multiple marinas. With that to deal with... I was told to take the drive off (upper & lower) and send it to the marina for pressure testing to find the source of the leak, however, to answer your question... "I really couldn't tell you if it would fix the water intrusion or not!" But being as the person that knows nothing about drives, I was curious about the cost of getting a "hopeful" repair to the problems!

 

[Pete104]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

The entire Gimbal Housing Assembly is in question! Water getting into bilge could be as simple as shift cable bellows. All the way to a rotten transom. Gear oil doesn't typically run out the prop shaft seals!

 

[Fishermark]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

I agree that it sounds like you have at least two issues going on. The drive leaking oil has nothing to do with water in the bilge. (Water in your bilge from bad bellows CAN however cause the outdrive to start leaking from corrosion -- just not the other way around).

You absolutely need to make sure the water intrusion problem is fixed first. Did it stop leaking after you had the bellows replaced?

On the cost of the resealing - I don't know what to say on that. They are giving you an estimate as they do not know what they will find once they get in there.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

As mentioned, you may and probably do have other issues. But $600-700 to reseal is very high. You can buy a complete, brand new, with 3 year warranty outdrive right here on iboats, from Sterndrive Engineering, for right at $1500. So why would you pay nearly half that, just to "re-seal" your 16 year old drive?

 

[achris]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

The seals kits are about $100. They may have to speedi-sleeve or replace some shafts (I'm thinking yoke), and the cleaning of the inside of the lower 'box where the bearing carrier 'O' ring sits takes time. To strip the boxes, clean seal surfaces, replace seals and reassemble could take quite a few hours. I don't know what the labour rate is where you are, but I serviced a friends 90hp Mariner outboard a few days ago and as I was curious I called a local boat shop to get a price. $363 + parts!!! And that's for about 3 hours work... That puts the labour at $120/hour....

I think the estimate you have been given is probably towards the top end, but no too much...

 

[fishrdan]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

$600-700 sounds about right for my area, I called around several years ago and those were the prices. From that, I decided I better learn how to reseal a drive. I haven't done the yoke seal (haven't needed to) but the other seals were not hard to change if you are mechanically inclined.

As the others have said, resealing the drive won't fix water getting into the boat, something else is causing that problem.

 

[artificialreef]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

Why dont you pressure test your outdrive yourself. I have never worked on outdrives before and took mine off and split the casings to change the water impeller. I reassembled and read somewhere that you should pressure test before you slap it back on the transom. I found some instructions on the net about how to throw together an outdrive pressure tester for about 20.$ worth of hardware and a wallyworld bycicle pump. Well that was good advice because when i did test it it was blowing more wind than an amish woman giving birth. I tracked it down to me using the wrong gaskit from the kit (it has extras). Anyhow i think you left most of your water leak on the boat. The pressure test may tell you where the oil is coming from.

 

[artificialreef]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

I think splitting the case and putting it back together with new pump base, impeller, tube, oil seal, pressure test, etc (as long as you dont have to jack with the gears) is a 3 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. 10 being the most difficult. I think someone who is between the skills of being able to replace a valve cover gasket and a head gasket should be able to handle this. Buy yourself an alignment tool to go back on and open her up and have a look around.

 

[artificialreef]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

after the fully assembled pressure test that is.

 

[rhillman75]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

Thanks for all the replies guys... I was told by a "30 year" mercury technician that the "ONLY" way water enters the bildge is through 1 of the 3 bellows. So with that said, I am going to order a complete repair kit that has all new bellows, gimbal beaing, clamps, steel ring, water hose,transom to upper gasket and o-rings, and let him take a shot at it. He is closer to my residence compared to where my boat is stored. I know with the previous attempt at the u-joint bellows he did it in 80 degree plus temps and high humidity and had a "hell" of time placing the inner grooves on the groove of the bellows (maybe it didn't seal?) I did notice that much of the oil leaking came from where the "leg" of the lower meets the "groove" shaft of the upper as I remebered from a previous answer. I guess my best option is to just let them give me an estimate...I forgot that I dropped my boat at their marina 20 times this year and you get a coupon of $10.00 of parts & labor inside the store/service center for each coupon), luckily I have about 18 that I kept that lasts till Dec 31, 2011.

 

[Pete104]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

You better hurry!

 

[Fishermark]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

I was told by a "30 year" mercury technician that the "ONLY" way water enters the bildge is through 1 of the 3 bellows.

Well, that's not true.

Another possibility is the transom itself. If your transom gets rotten and soft, the water can come in around the seal of the transom assembly. Not saying that is your case... but it would be in your best interest to check it out yourself. Tap around on the exterior and see if there are any hollow or "thudding" sounds instead of a typical "solid" sound. (You will know it when you hear it). With a fifteen year old boat, that could be an issue. If there is any doubt, it can be confirmed by drilling a small hole from the inside near the bottom of the transom. If wet mush comes out = trouble. Dry sawdust = all is good.

 

[ziggy]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

i could be wrong since i havn't done much with genII drives. but imho, gear lub in the bellows is due to the ft. seal of the upper leaking. likely due to the water intrusion before. the water rusts the drive gear ujoint yoke. then the rusty ujoint yoke compromises the ft. seal. if i'm not mistakin. the ft. seal of the drive will keep gear lub in the drive. but not keep water out of the drive, since it shouldn't have water to keep out.
sounds like ya got the water inturusion under control. it's now the gear lub leak ya got to deal with. only place gear lub gets into the bellows is from the ft. seal, best i understand. so. maybe ya don't need to seal the whole drive. just the ft. seal. i had gear lub in my bellows when i first got my boat. did all the bellows, gimble brg., ujoints etc + the ft. seal and drive gear ujoint yoke and so far, 4 or so years later, i'm still good to go.
as for the three bellows being the only place water can intrude into the boat. i agree with fm. + the exhaust bellows makes no difference as there is water in the exhaust all the time when the boats in the water. ya could remove the exhaust bellows w/o ramification other than exhaust and water will exit right out of the gimble housing. maybe interfering with water flow over the prop, but that's about it. no exhaust bellows will not lead to water intrusion.
agreed with pressure testing the drive. find the leak and fix the leak. maybe the other seals are ok... best i know. my drives never been fully resealed. least not by me. just the ones that leaked got replaced.. like the ft. seal (and drive gear ujoint yoke) of the upper which cured my gear lub intrusion into the drive shaft bellows.

 

[Pikey23]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

I just had a guy do my alpha 1. It cost me $900 for new seals, bearings, yoke, and replace my gears with a set of used gears! All warrantied for a year. Sounds like I got a heck of a deal.

 

[achris]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

i could be wrong since i havn't done much with genII drives. ....

Apart from the water pump design, no plastic water pocket cover, and the way they bolt together, there is little difference to work on them; even the same special tools are used on Gen II.

I have found one weak point. On the early models (up to about 1996, I think) they had a small rubber seal in the water cavity under the top cover. It would collect water above it and the top box would start corroding. Merc have since stopped using that rubber seal... Number 16 in the picture below...

Chris......

 

[achris]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

I just had a guy do my alpha 1. It cost me $900 for new seals, bearings, yoke, and replace my gears with a set of used gears! All warrantied for a year. Sounds like I got a heck of a deal.

And for $1300 you could have had a brand new unit, complete with 3 years warranty....

 

[rhillman75]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

Well...with that said, I just put the lower and upper back together tonight with a new o-oring in between the 2 and I am taking it to the marina tomorrow. I am seriously leaning towards a bad seal on the u-joint bellows, afterall, he did say it "sucked" putting the "boot" on. I also know that when i picked it up from him the drive was "up." Should he had let it sit "down" to make sure the seal on the "boot" took since it was a "fresh" install? I guess I could go on all day doing the guessing but at this point... "what's the point?", the problem is still water intrusion. I feel VERY comfortable with the transom being solid considering I have drilled holes just below it for trim tabs and nothing came out except fiberglass and some wood shavings. Like I said...it didn't leak until we went on vacation and it was a SLOW leak at that time (the resevoir just kept emtying and had to be refilledabout every 4 hours).

 

[Pikey23]

Re: So I got an "guesstimate" on re-sealing my outdrive...YIKES!!!

And for $1300 you could have had a brand new unit, complete with 3 years warranty....

I considered that. I read 100's of post on here about the SEI drives. I did research on other sites also. But, I spoke with some techs at a few different marinas, the sales guys at a local supplier (that sells the SEI units), and a few people at the lake who own SEI drives. They all said that they have not seen one, under heavy use, not have to be returned for warranty work within the three years. The guys that were happy with them only used their boats a few times a year. While it is covered, our boating season in Michigan is way too short to have to send a drive out for repair. I chose to stick with the oem that has proven life (went 26 years without a major issue). We use the boat daily during the summer. I understand that merc is going to mark their prices up, because they are merc. But, how can a company build and sell a unit for less then half the price of the original? Some cost cutting had to be done in some place. I know, this discussion can go on forever, and has on this forum. Each person has their own view about the drive. I made my decision about my drive and am very happy with it.