1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

[Packers4ever]

Hey guys,

Been a awhile since I posted, boat has been running great...until this weekend.

I was getting a weird bearing/metal on metal "weering" noise so I pulled the drive unit off to inspect the u-joints etc...I found milky coloured water in the main bellow and the grease where the drive shaft enters the motor looks like mud.

Any ideas what is wrong? Could it be the bellows are leaking or a gasket is gone...no water is getting into the boat so I didn't think it was the bellows??

Any help or advice would be appriactiated.

Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: 1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

Sounds like you may have a leaky bellows. Time to replace it, and the gimbal bearing, and the ujoints. Since you have gear lube in it to, the yoke is probably rusty and damaged the input shaft seal on the drive.
Happens all the time when people don't replace the bellows until they fail.

 

[Packers4ever]

Re: 1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

Thanks for the response!!

The u-joints look great and the gear lube was clean when I drained it...no water at all...do you think the u-joints should still be replaced?

If the bellow is leaking does the water not get into the boat?

 

[Don S]

Re: 1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

If the bellows was full of water, the water got inside the ujoints. Water and machined surfaces (as in bearings) do not mix.
Water can get in the boat if the bellows is full of water

 

[Packers4ever]

Re: 1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

Thanks Don!!

 

[Dave Allen]

Re: 1997 3.0 Mercruiser outdrive

First I am A 1997 Sea Ray Bow rider 175 owner can't figure out what size motor I have can anybody help with that first? I Know it's a 4 cyl.