Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

[Falcon-]

A bit previously I had issues with a leg oil leak in my Alpha One Gen II leg (leaking from between the upper and lower housings). At the time I got some great advice and found the culprit was simply a missing quad ring seal. After replacing that the leak stopped and after waiting a week with no new oil showing up I declared the problem solved.

Well after a couple weeks sitting in the driveway while I worked on other parts of the boat I once again have an oil leak.

This time the leak is showing up in a different location - the oil is leaking out of the water inlet holes in the lower casting, mostly on the startboard side. The leak is very slow but unmistakeable.

Could this have been some oil that was trapped in the water area when I took the leg apart to replace the quad ring, or do I have a larger problem here?

My pessimistic side says that it took far to long to show up to be just oil from the previous leak....

FWIW this is a 1992 vintage Gen II leg.

- Sean

 

[jriegle04]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

it looks like unburned fuel/gas mix that is in the exhaust housing. if it took that long to show up i wouldn't be to concerned. run it again and see if it goes away. that is what i would do at least.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

jriegle04

Thanks for the suggestion - unfortunately I do not think that is the case here.

The oil leaking is the unmistakable blue/green of fresh leg oil, not the tan/gold of fresh engine oil or brown/black of old oil.

Also the engine has not been run since before I last took the sterndrive apart as the "other work" I have been doing includes totally removing all the wiring and re-doing it.

I will certainly give it a run once I can to get things tested out, but the wiring is still being done under the dash so that will not be today alas.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

Can I get another opinion? This leak, now that it has started, is a constant slow flow, and is *defiantly* leg oil, not any other fluid.... Is this likely to be the drive shaft seal in the upper housing? The seal below the water pump?

In either case will the changeout be something I can manage myself? I have already changed all the bellows and installed a new impeller in this leg, so I can do at least *basic* surgery on the sterndrive and am willing to buy special tools if needs be.

I am hoping to launch the boat *tomorrow* and do not want to do so with a chance of letting water into the leg!

 

[cr2k]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

First off is your resivoir going down to match the leak?

Changing the seal under the water pump is no big deal. Just pull up the base after you take the upper housing off. best to just get a new base that already has a new seal in it. put on gasket then big o-ring, use some gasket sealing compound or #2 permatex on the o-ring and gasket ( helps the o-ring slip in easier). make sure you put some grease in the seal, just smear it around.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

I have no internal reservoir to check against, just the dip-stick on the top of the leg. I have to admit I did not check that - though given the slowness of the leak I am not sure I would be able to tell actually enough with that.

Glad to hear that the changing of the seals below the pump is fairly straight-forward. What about the seal in the upper housing? If it is equally reasonable to attempt I will get the parts for both and do 'em both at once.

How about the quad-ring seal - given it is all of a couple weeks old, should I be replacing that as well when I separate the upper and lower housings?

 

[Don S]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

Canging the seal under the water pump is no big deal. Just pull up the base after you take the upper housing off. best to just get a new base that already has a new seal in it. put on gasket then big o-ring, use some gasket sealing compound or #2 permatex on the o-ring and gasket ( helps the o-ring slip in easier). make sure you put some grease in the seal, just smear it around.

Sounds like the discription for resealing the base of an Alpha I Gen I drive, not a Gen II.
There is a carrier under the water pump that is probably leaking. Best to just replace the complete carrier jinstead of resealing.
Be sure to get an OEM carrier, as the aftermarket ones leak worse than the old ones you have problems with.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

Don

I got the carrier today, took the leg apart, and installed it. It has now been pumped back full of oil and the engine run for a few minutes, so I will just wait and see if the leak re-occurs!

From the location I found oil inside the leg though I suspect very much that you are correct and it was that lower seal that was the only problem.

and yes, I did get an OEM seal.

Thanks

- Sean

 

[dubs283]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

you should pressure test the drive with no lube in it

this will allow to actaully pinpoint the seal that is causing the problem

 

[cr2k]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

Other place ( now that you have the drive back together) is the shift shaft seal. In front of the waterpump on lower case.

Not a gen II if no res.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

cr2k

Actually it *IS* a gen II, the upper housing is significantly different, as are several internal difs, like the stainless steel water pump, etc. The sterndrive does have the location where one would attach the line for a transom-mounted internal reservoir, but it was optional as to if anything was connected to it or not, in this case, nothing hooked up to it.

dubs283

ya... I should have pressure tested it. I hope I do not regret failing to do so. I launched the boat today for the first time (or at least first time in my ownership) so we shall see how things look when I pull it out of the water in a week or two to give it a checkup.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

mine leaked a little thu the intake holes but pressure test sowed good and once i filled it and ran it no leak at all anywhere but ifigured water pump housing, i will replace this fall when i take oudrive off with hpfully oem housing kit.

 

[Falcon-]

Re: Alpha One Gen II: Return of the oil leak!

Update to finish off the thread: After a couple weeks in the water (5.6 hours on the hour meter) I had the boat out of the water today and drained a bit of oil from the bottom - it looked clear. Likewise I looked at the oil on the dipstick from the top and again it appeared clear, not milky. Looks like the good iBoats advice to change that seal below the water pump did the job!

- Sean