HT32BSX115 So this drive shaft that goes into the lower end grinds VERY bad and is very hard to turn.
I have to pull this apart and see what is going on in there.
I believe you are correct on my mistake with the gear oil. I wonder what parts I need to replace this.
Remove the cover from the top of the drive & look at the condition of the upper gearset. The u-joints look like the've been sitting in water, probably from a bad bellows which means you may also need a new gimbal bearing. If the gearset is shot you're going to have a hell of a time finding a mechanic who will do the work. Most guys won't work on OMC's. In that case it's either replace the drive with a used one or do the SEI/Merc conversion.