Mercruiser Alpha 1 using oil

[tdagner]

Hi All,

This is my first post on this forum. I have a 2004 Ebbtide 200 campione with the Mercury 5.0 hooked to a mercruiser alpha one outdrive. The boat has 120 hours on it. Very low use. Over the July 4th weekend I had the boat loaded down with 10 people, and also did quite a bit of skiing/tubing/wakeboarding.It was all within capacity of the boat though. Ever since then it has been using the outdrive gear lube. I keep having to top off the reservoir every time I take it out. It has to be leaking somewhere, but I can see no sign of leaking oil anywhere. I looked around the prop shaft and down in the hull under the engine. Couldnt find anything. Does anyone have any idea where this could be leaking and Why? It is concerning because I dont want to mess up anything further, and I also dont want to be polluting the waterways.

Please help.

Thanks

 

[bspeth]

I think if you pull your drive, your UJ bellows will be full of lube.Your driveshaft seal may be the source of the leak.I would pull the drive and pressure test it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

pull your outdrive and do a pressure test. while at it, get a bellows kit and a water pump kit.

If you find gear lube in the bellows, you need to reseal the input shaft.

hours of use mean nothing. hours of age mean everything. especially for a boat that has had little use in 10 years.

 

[alldodge]

Hi All,

This is my first post on this forum. I have a 2004 Ebbtide 200 campione with the Mercury 5.0 hooked to a mercruiser alpha one outdrive. The boat has 120 hours on it. Very low use. Over the July 4th weekend I had the boat loaded down with 10 people, and also did quite a bit of skiing/tubing/wakeboarding.It was all within capacity of the boat though. Ever since then it has been using the outdrive gear lube. I keep having to top off the reservoir every time I take it out. It has to be leaking somewhere, but I can see no sign of leaking oil anywhere. I looked around the prop shaft and down in the hull under the engine. Couldnt find anything. Does anyone have any idea where this could be leaking and Why? It is concerning because I dont want to mess up anything further, and I also dont want to be polluting the waterways.

Please help.

Thanks

:welcome: to iboats

If your not seeing any oil in your bilge then it's most likely leaking at the prop shaft. Either way as others have said, pull the drive and pull the drain plug and see if you have anything there besides gear lube.

 

[tdagner]

Thanks for all the help. I will be pulling the outdrive soon. I have done that before on an older boat, but never one with a boat with the remote reservoir. How does that line attach to the outdrive? I know i will need to drain all of the oil before I start to pull the outdrive.

I assume since I am not seeing oil in the bilge, the bellows are not damaged. I would prefer not to replace them if I dont have to. It is probably time for a new impeller though. Hasnt ever had a new one. The boat sits on a lift out of the water, so no visible corrosion.

 

[Bt Doctur]

no need to drain anything the valve stops the oil flow .http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14cover.pdf