OMC Electric shift Intermediate gear case Unidentifiable Threaded Objects "UTO's"

[Clete_t]

OMC Electric shift Intermediate gear case Unidentifiable Threaded Objects "UTO's"

I've got my OMC Electric Shift drive torn apart and am now getting ready to assemble it back together. I've never found an oil drain hole for the intermediate housing. Here are some pics of some threaded objects on the intermediate housing, but I have no idea what they are, and not about to open any more can of worms... Anybody know what these two threaded objects are? I'm pointing at them with the stick in the pic. One is a large flat head screw behind the tru-course gear, the other is a hex bolt next to the electric shift cable hole. The last pic is an underneath shot of where I thought the oil drain should be. I thought I read somewhere that some of them don't have oil drain holes on the intermediate, so I've just been sucking as much oil out as I can and adding more as a change. Anyways, anybody know where these hole might lead to?

 

[wrench 3]

The two threaded plugs are in the cooling water passages heading towards the engine. You're right that those housings didn't have an oil drain plug. It didn't have a scheduled oil change period and if it gets water in it you have to remove the shaft to replace the seal anyway.

 

[Clete_t]

Thanks again! Gonna have the outdrive back on tomorrow and hopefully back on the the water. You know I've found most of problems have come from my oil drain and fill screws having failed gaskets, so I always use new ones know, but I saw a post where a guy suggested putting a layer of silcone over the top of the upper oil-dipstick seal cause he says that a vacuum is created that will suck water through the dipstick hole. Any thoughts on that?

 

[southkogs]

I hadn't tried silicone on one, but I did put different washer/gasket types on there to try to slow it down. Felt like I was always fighting water intrusion on the upper gear case.

 

[wrench 3]

All drives without an external oil reservoir will create a vacuum when you drop it into the cold water. If you have a good gasket and clean surfaces for it to seal against, you shouldn't need the silicone.