TOPIC: 35HP Seahorse-lower unit oil @ top end driveshaft

Hey All,

Some of you may have seen the tank test video I posted a couple of weeks ago...

I took the boat out the following weekend and had hoped to post a video of her running on the lake. T'was not to be.

The motors both fired up just as they did in the tank test, no problem. I was doomed by props with bad hubs. Fortunately, one of the hubs had just enough grip that I was able to make a wide loop around the harbor and back to the ramp.

About the hubs... is there a good way to tell if they're good or bad? Seems beating on it to see if it sticks or pops out is not the ideal method...

On to the the rest of the story... since I was going to have to wait on a couple of restored props, I figured I'd tear down the starboard motor, check it for wear, replace seals, etc... Really glad I did!

The o-ring at the top of the drive shaft was no where to be found, the fresh lower unit oil I put in right before the lake run was milky, and there lower unit oil goo where the drive shaft links to the cam shaft in the power head.

The questions:
1. What's the best way of cleaning that oil out of the drive shaft receiver?
2. Does this mean I need to tear apart the powerhead?
3.Does anybody have a seal puller tool I could borrow? The repair/maintenance manual says it "can" be done with 2 screw drivers...but I'm betting I'd just screw it up...

Here's some pics of the seal I need the tool for, the lower unit oil and the drive shaft receiver-This is viewed looking up into the powerhead.

Cheers,
Rob



[img] [img]http://www.fiberglassics.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/IMG_20110515_00406.jpg

DecaturBob wrote:

Hey All,



The questions:
1. What's the best way of cleaning that oil out of the drive shaft receiver?
2. Does this mean I need to tear apart the powerhead?
3.Does anybody have a seal puller tool I could borrow? The repair/maintenance manual says it "can" be done with 2 screw drivers...but I'm betting I'd just screw it up...

Here's some pics of the seal I need the tool for, the lower unit oil and the drive shaft receiver-This is viewed looking up into the powerhead.

Cheers,
Rob

You are meaning the leg..Ex tube....Item #66


Just wash best you can with soap and water and that is all. The O ring on top of the shaft had nothing to do with the oil leak
go to NAPA and get a LU kit (Sierra pt# 18-2686) and replace..the LU should hold 4 PSI for 10 Min (or longer)
www.go2marine.com/search.do?q=18-2686

s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy189/adc2242/Manuals/RJE%20RJEL-19/

BTW try Prop co for new props... Hub Code P5P
www.propcopropellers.com/evinrude_Outboard_Prop.htm

www.harborfreight.com/seal-puller-35556.html

and when it is stuck
www.harborfreight.com/seal-puller-91352.html

The confusion just never seems to go away !

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there is an o-ring on the driveshaft.

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When you assemble you put grease on the driveshaft splines.

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The o-ring seals water out of there.

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Nothing else goes wrong there.

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Now if the carbon seal is broken on the crankshaft you will have to pull the power head to look at / replace it.

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YOU DO NOT CLEAN OIL OUT OF THE DRVESHAFT RECEIVER , what ever you mean by that.

re:

cleaning that oil out of the drive shaft receiver?

In the last picture you can see some old grease up in the end of the crankshaft where the driveshaft splines go in, is that what you're talking about Rob? If so, a q-tip would get the bulk of it out, I don't think it's essential that it be pristine clean. Just make sure you put some grease on the splines of the driveshaft and install a good O-ring on the shaft before re-assembly. (Don't put grease on the end of the shaft, just the splines!) Glad you caught this issue before serious damage occurred. Any thoughts about pulling the other motor down for inspection too?

The Professor (and several other true "mechanics") has told us numerous times it's a good idea to tear these old girls down to inspect, freshen seals, gaskets, etc. before running them. I think I'm changing my position from "yea, you really should, but...." to "you can pay a little now or a lot later, and maybe risk loosing the whole thing!"

All,

Thanks for the replies! Much appreciated.
Thanks for the tool and prop links TT!
Mark - I agree on the maintenace and inspection. I'm pretty much committing to doing it annually. Even with two motors it shouldn't take that long.

My thoughts looking back at the post and the replies... I don't think I used the proper terminology or accurately expressed my concerns.

The area of concern is the end of the crankshaft where the driveshaft splines go in (thanks for the clearer description Mark).

On the initial inspection of the crankshaft end, because the grease was milky in appearance like the lower unit oil I had just drained, I thought some of the lower unit oil had made it's way up somehow into the lower crankcase.

I guess what I was actually seeing was grease that had been applied previously to the driveshaft splines that was contaminated with water. Is this more a more accurate/likely description given that the o-ring at the top of the driveshaft was missing?

If it is water contamination, how thoroughly should I clean out the old grease to keep new grease from residual contamination? Am I assuming correctly that even a little water in the grease reduces it's effectiveness?

Regards,
Rob

Water and oil mixed from the exhaust is likely what you were seeing.

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Can be found all over the driveshaft and inside of the exhaust housing.