Alpha one outdrive oil consumption..???!!!

[Brogoremerc]

Hi New to this forum, new owner of a 180sl chaparral.

Here is my issue . Thanks in advance!

Checked my drive oil reservoir this morning after riding a few hours yesterday and it was empty!?

Topped it off and went for a 10 min ride full throttle and cruising. No change in level while riding.

Parked the boat and within 30 min, level of oil dropped 1/2 way.

No no signs of oil leaking in Hull and no signs of oil in water outside the boat.

Can someone explain how and why this is happening?

 

[tpenfield]

:welcome: to iBoats

Do you know if the outdrive was full of oil to begin with? :noidea: If it was low, then it will take oil from the reservoir . . . not necessarily all at once, but as it can through heating and cooling of the outdrive when (& after) the boat is used.

 

[Brogoremerc]

:welcome: to iBoats

Do you know if the outdrive was full of oil to begin with? :noidea: If it was low, then it will take oil from the reservoir . . . not necessarily all at once, but as it can through heating and cooling of the outdrive when (& after) the boat is used.

I haven’t check the level via top vent screw since I bought it. But the level in the reservoir has been fine in the dozen times I’ve driven it before yesterday. Only after yesterdays’ ride the oil was drained from the resvior.

 

[Brogoremerc]

Just wondering if anyone knows the exact process by which the oil is transferred from reservoir to outdrive? I would expect it to refill as it is depleted from the outdrive but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

 

[tpenfield]

Loss of oil from the outdrive, should cause a draining effect of the reservoir. the only instance where you may see a different reaction is if there is an air pocket in the outdrive. Essentially the outdrive has to 'burp' the air up the connecting tube that runs from the outdrive to the reservoir. That process of purging the air may not happen all at once.

 

[Brogoremerc]

Loss of oil from the outdrive, should cause a draining effect of the reservoir. the only instance where you may see a different reaction is if there is an air pocket in the outdrive. Essentially the outdrive has to 'burp' the air up the connecting tube that runs from the outdrive to the reservoir. That process of purging the air may not happen all at once.

Ok do you suppose it only happens after the outdrive has reached a certain level?

Just pulled out of water and checked level at vent screw and oil was pouring out when removed. Oil was milky.

 

[H20Rat]

So you have a leak... Your oil exiting the drive, and water came in. Both can happen depending on temperature. (ie, when the drive first hits water and you use, it heats up, oil expands and pushes out. Let it sit, and it will suck water in) The burping at the reservoir can happen at any point, and the temperature expansion/contraction can help it along.

 

[Brogoremerc]

So you have a leak... Your oil exiting the drive, and water came in. Both can happen depending on temperature. (ie, when the drive first hits water and you use, it heats up, oil expands and pushes out. Let it sit, and it will suck water in) The burping at the reservoir can happen at any point, and the temperature expansion/contraction can help it along.

Ok, I just would have expected a gradual loss of oil from reservoir not empty out in one ride. Like I said the level was fine for a half dozen rides and all of a sudden I’m losing oil rapidly.

 

[nola mike]

You didn't have a leak, and now you do...

 

[achris]

Sounds like a shaft seal is leaking. They can show ok when not spinning, then once the shaft starts turning, the seal opens up.

You need to pull the drive, drain and flush it, then pressure test. During the pressure test turn the shafts...

And you need to flush out sooner rather than later. The longer water sits on bearing and gear surfaces, the worse the damage...

Chris...

 

[Brogoremerc]

Sounds like a shaft seal is leaking. They can show ok when not spinning, then once the shaft starts turning, the seal opens up.

You need to pull the drive, drain and flush it, then pressure test. During the pressure test turn the shafts...

And you need to flush out sooner rather than later. The longer water sits on bearing and gear surfaces, the worse the damage...

Chris...

What threw me off though is while operating the oil level didn’t change. Only after parking I saw the reservoir oil lower.

 

[harringtondav]

Short term drain your drive and check the lune's condition for milky color or water. Refiill, top off the reservoir. Note changes with use. You can delay a seal job if you can keep up with consumption, but excessive lube loss will need to be fixed.

 

[nola mike]

achris , is there another seal that wouldn't show a leak in the water (can't think of one)? And where would the water get in if it's the shaft seal?

 

[Brogoremerc]

Short term drain your drive and check the lune's condition for milky color or water. Refiill, top off the reservoir. Note changes with use. You can delay a seal job if you can keep up with consumption, but excessive lube loss will need to be fixed.

I took out the upper vent screw and found milky oil coming out. Appears to be well above the vent screw level.

 

[Brogoremerc]

achris , is there another seal that wouldn't show a leak in the water (can't think of one)? And where would the water get in if it's the shaft seal?

Just noticed today fresh gear oil in the engine bay. It appears that the oil is ending up in the bellow. Now there’s enough to over flow out of the bellow into the bay...

 

[Brogoremerc]

Since the new oil I added doesn’t appear to be mixing with the old milky oil. Reason being now that I see fresh oil in the engine bay and milky oil in the top vent screw, could it be leaking at the hose connecting the reservoir to the outdrive? Hard to see down in there behind engine.

 

[tpenfield]

Mystery solved perhaps . . . :noidea:

 

[Brogoremerc]

Mystery solved perhaps . . . :noidea:

Getting close...

 

[nola mike]

Oil in the bellows is the input shaft seal... But you should lose oil from that, it shouldn't let water in the drive

 

[Brogoremerc]

Oil in the bellows is the input shaft seal... But you should lose oil from that, it shouldn't let water in the drive

Makes sense, I must have another leak because the oil is milky.