Shaft seal replacement - drive oil in outdrive intake grate... easy fix?

[incrediblened]

I lowered my outdrive to start it for the first time this season. Outdrive oil ran out of the impeller intake grates. I pulled the lower half of the outdrive off. it appears that oil was leaking out the main shaft seal. I know that the old models used to have the rubber o-ring on the shaft, but my 1997 4.3 Alpha One does not. It appears that the oil seal is inside the hole where the shaft inserts.

Can this be replaced from the bottom? It looks like there's a cut-out to pull an o-ring.

Is this the part?

 

[Bt Doctur]

If you actually have the Alpha the lower seal is for the driveshaft, the upper seal is for the oil. An Alpha will not lose oil when separated, a Alpha GEN II will.

 

[incrediblened]

It's a Gen II. It appears that both seals that you mentioned have to be replaced from the top.

 

[achris]

It's normal for a large quantity of oil to fall out of the bottom of the top housing when you split a Gen II... If you have oil leaking from the water intakes, the ONLY seal that oil can come from is drive shaft seal under the water pump. Nowhere else.

As for replacing the seals in the bottom of the top housing, yes, full strip of the top housing to get at them. But that's not where your leak is.

Chris......