Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

[Mkos1980]

"1990 350 Mag A1" I noticed this back in august when starting the motor at home with the ear muffs. It was dripping water out of the shift cable onto the valve cover. It was the cable that runs to the outdrive. What could this possible be from? How in the yet would water be coming off of that? Maybe shift cable boot? Motor wasnt even submerged. When I pulled drive at end of season, the U joint bellow was bone dry, no rust and gimble was smooth as silk and looked greesed up good. Any ideas?

 

[DJ]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Moving to I/O section.

 

[Don S]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

You need new shift shaft bushings and seals in the pivot housing.
When they go bad, they will pressureize the cavity where the shift cable enters the outdrive.
Go to page 4B-18 of the manual below.
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6B4R3.PDF

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Thanks Don!. From looking at the pictures I assume there is 2 bushings and 1 oil seal? I see the top bushing and it shows the seal underneigth but the bottom photo showing the lower bushing does not show a seal. Is it safe to saw this is a easy fix? Without the bushing tool will I be able to pop out the old ones and press in the new ones? Thanks Again!

 

[Don S]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Yes, it can be done without the special tools. Once you get it apart and see which one you actually have and how it goes together, it's not that big a deal.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

I see on iboats that there are two differant sets. One for the Gen 2 (not me) and the other fits the other alpha. Is it safe to say 18-2622 will be the one I need?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Plan on replacing the shift cable at this time too. water in the cable dosent do it any good and it will tighten uplater.

 

[Don S]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Is it safe to say 18-2622 will be the one I need?

Having used both, get the OEM part, not the Sierra. There isn't enough difference in price to make the lower quality worth it.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Bringing this back up with another question.
I purchased the new bushings and integrated seal from the local merc dealer and when I got home I noticed that my OD had a seperate seal. In looking at the link you sent me don it says that serial #****** and up has this bushing already installed but under that serial number they were differant. My number is below the change. Is this an updated version or something?

 

[Don S]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

That is the SN for the Transom shield assembly, not the outdrive SN.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: Water dripping from shift cable onto valve cover?

Well today I installed the new setup. The old setup was a small bushing and a cheap oil seal. Now I have the big bushing with the oil seal. I drove it in from the bottom along with the other bushing below that. Theres no other seals right?