Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

[jayfarmlaw]

1997 Mercruiser 3.0 Lx/ Alpha 1 Gen 2 outdrive<br /><br />I Changed out the trim fluid with new ATF. The old stuff had water in it. <br /><br />Went for a ride and the new stuff has water in it too. There are NO leaks anywhere that I can find. Where could I be sucking water in and how do I find the problem. The seals around the trim cylinders look fine with no seapage under the zincs.<br /><br />I am baffled...but that is not hard to do.<br /><br />Any ideas?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for your help.<br /><br />Jay

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

Like any other seal There is probably a pressure and a vaccum part to it.If the pressure part fails it will leak.If the vacuum part fails it wont leak but will suck up water.I wouldnt bet my life on it but thats how outdrive seals work.Charlie

 

[Don S]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I Changed out the trim fluid with new ATF.

Uhhhh, Mercruisers use either Quicksilver Trim/Tilt Fluid, or 10/30 or 10/40 motor oil. Not ATF.<br /><br />Also, did you remove the lines and drain the cylinders and flush them out before refilling? You also need to blow out the lines and pull the reservoir off the pump and clean it too. Otherwise you will have enough milky oil in there to make the reservoir change very quickly.<br />Another problem you may find is the location of the trim pump. Many of the caps on the trim pump reservoir had a hole in them for air to enter when the rams were extended. If water leaks down on the cap it will get into the oil and make it milky. Those rams don't have lip seals like an outdrive, but they do have a series of oring, wiper rings etc, and it is possible to suck in water and not leak externally. Also check that there is not a red plug in the reservoir under the cap. That could actually cause a vacuum that could suck in water. It was meant to be in there for shipping purposes only, but I have found them in many pumps.

 

[jaybirdtx]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I have to disagree with Don. Although Merc. suggests that you use their brand of fluid it is no different than DTE Light Hyd. Oil or Power Steering Fluid. We have dozens of customers boats that use either clear (power steering) or red (ATF) without any problems at all. Many prefer the red because if they ever do have a leak they can determine what system has the leak by the color of the fluid. Charlie is correct though about the vacuum/pressure thing. Try tightening your hose connections.

 

[Don S]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

Amazing that a fitting would leak on vacuum and not pressure................<br /><br />

Many prefer the red because if they ever do have a leak they can determine what system has the leak by the color of the fluid.

Give me a break.... Engines leak more often than any other thing, why not put "RED" in them so you know the engine is leaking.<br /><br />Most rediculous reason for using ATF over motor oil (like the manufacturer recommends) I have ever heard, guess Arkansas works on a different standard than I do.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I am with DonS.<br /> what I see used is not always what the RECCOMENDATION is. also the older style yellow resevoir caps that had a hole in them for a vent have been replaced by a cap with the vent in the threads. only took ten years or so and the old syle cap tore up a lot of good units.<br /> funniest I ever saw was silicone brake fluid .<br /> normally if an oring, not a lip seal , will leak it will leak in both directions. the only lip seal in the cyl is a dust wiper. the ram seal is an oring.<br /> wish I had a Jackson for every RED shipping plug I have had to toss cause it was left in after installation. 5 dollar an hour riggers have made me a fortune .

 

[jaybirdtx]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

Don, you'd have to live around these hillbillies to understand some of the stuff they come up with. I'm not defending them, but some of the stuff makes sense. Especially the poor ol' fisherman that is on limited income and all he wants to do is "Go Fishin" and can't afford to just run down the road and get the specified product. And DON'T get me wrong, I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS STUFF TO MY CUSTOMERS. It's just what I run into down here. Like I said, you'd have to be here and see it with your own eyes. It'll make ya cring sometimes.....HeHeHE

 

[Don S]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I have to disagree with Don. Although Merc. suggests that you use their brand of fluid it is no different than DTE Light Hyd. Oil or Power Steering Fluid. We have dozens of customers boats that use either clear (power steering) or red (ATF) without any problems at all.

Sorry OkieBoatMech, but after reading the above, I assumed you recommended ATF because it worked. Why else would you disagree and bring up the ATF in the first place.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

okie<br /> I will warrenty your commercial guys aint got sheet on the ones around here. man at the crazy stuff they dig up and do.<br /> I have 2 that I never have more tools onboard than what I can jump off with cause they leak so bad <br /> but we did find that brake fluid wont work long in a trim system

 

[jaybirdtx]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

This is NO B/S. I had a guy use SKYDROL in his boats power steering. It failed! He brings it in and tells me "Hydaulic fluid is hydraulic fluid". Basically, what I was trying to say is, as long as it's petroleum based and not a low viscosity fluid, it'll work......for a while. ESTER based fluids, we all know, tears up pet. based type seals.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

keeps me in new shoes and my horse in hay though .<br /> I just love the stories about, "my exwifes sisters cousins bro in law used to work on tractors and he said" stuff. those get NO mercy

 

[Don S]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I can just see the post a year from now.<br /><br /> I recall a post some time back from a boat mechanic that said he had customers that used SKYDRUEL in his trim system because it was a low viscosity hydraulic oil. But it had to be put in on EASTER. I did that with some stuff that sounded like the same name, but the seals leaked anyways. What happened, I did it right didn't I?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Water in the trim fluid---but no leak???

I did run an old GM car power streeing on vegatable oil for some time. the power steering leaked bad and I got 5 gallons of it free. does that count?