milky oil in driveshaft bellows

[Fishermark]

This is on a late 1980's vintage 242 Sportcraft. I pulled the outdrive (alpha 1 gen 1) and found a lot of milky oil in the driveshaft bellows. I assume this is coming from the outdrive, but I have a couple of questions:<br /><br />1) I pulled the lower plug and the oil in the outdrive isn't milky at all. Does that mean it is simply leaking out the upper seal?<br /><br />2) How did the oil in the bellows get milky? Water isn't supposed to be there.<br /><br />I am in the process of pulling the entire gimbel housing (see post about gimbel housing repair). Is it possible, or even probable, that the water is coming in from the inside of the boat? Meaning, splashing up from the bilge area? Otherwise, I don't see how it gets into the bellows. The bellows is less than a year old.

 

[Tufan]

Re: milky oil in driveshaft bellows

I have a 23 Mariah with 5.0 Merc I/O Alpha I - Gen I. Had problems with belows and drive shaft bearing a while ago, and learned all possibilities -with spending arm & 2leg- about it.<br /><br />Milky oil is sign of a water leak, belows could go bad quickly if wasnt installed right.<br /><br />I dont think any oil could splash from the bilge area into the belows. The only way oil can get into the drive shaft below is from the drive shaft bearing, probably bearing seal is bad. <br /><br />There is one more trick, check for crack(s) around the out drive connection bolts. Mine had a small crack which was only visiable when bolts were very tight. If bolts were loose you could not see it. If there is a crack oil leaks fron the drive unit in to the drive shaft below. <br /><br />Good luck.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: milky oil in driveshaft bellows

Yes, I am fairly confident that the oil came from the outdrive, I just don't know how the water got in there to mix up with it. Especially since the oil in the outdrive is water free. Any ideas?

 

[Tufan]

Re: milky oil in driveshaft bellows

If the oil gets milky inside of the below, either below is bad or there is a crack on the gimbal plate that leaks water in.<br /><br />There is one more possibility, check the below clamps maybe they are a bit loose?