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Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
12-22-2006, 11:09 AM
Ok, I returned from 4 months overseas and found maybe 3 eye dropper drops of drive oil below this center bolt... Picture attached.

I had both drives off Jan 06 for flush and alignment check. 185 hours on the drives NO ISSUES. Drives put back on, boated 15 hours this year, deployed, came home to this situation.
In a 2 week period it is ONE drop maybe two there in the recessed area for the center bolt.

Thoughts????

I ask my Marina to look at it since I was inside their 12 month service warranty on the drive maitenance.
Thanks in advance....

I just wonder what to expect, another board a guy said the front seal is not sitting right???? The drives were just removed, not opened, they have the Latham SS caps.
Is this a torqueable bolt? To what?
Bryan

Mr X
12-22-2006, 04:41 PM
Bryan,
that bolt holds the back cover on.....along with the other bolts.
There is an O-ring gasket, only available from Mercury, that may be leaking.
I would not try to tighten it past about 20 FT LBS.

BigGrizzly
12-22-2006, 06:00 PM
I'm with Ted. If the drive was removed and not opened than the front seal should not have been damaged. if the oil had been changed maybe it is just residual oil on the drive. look closely

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
12-22-2006, 06:55 PM
Thanks Ted and Grizz, no they were not opened, and I am not skilled to torque anything! I just want data so if I am handed a line of BS I will at least know what I am talking about.

Grizz, you forget how anal I am about my boat, no residual fluid. I am the guy who sat on a chair last Sunday with my MOTHERS SS polish and a tooth brush detailing the entire transon SS. I was the only guy in a work rack working on his boat, these damn Virginians think it is a blizzard below 60 degrees. LOL :)

See attached photo for my description of the Latham (SS cap), I just can not understand how an O or Oval ring gasket would just fail internally on an unopened drive (I guess it was opened at the factory to an extent). They had to remove the top plate and install the Latham, it damn sure did not come this way from Merc. I wonder if I have always had this issue and never recognized it when I was the boat every weekend, one drop would be hard to spot. Who knows, my wallet is standing by!
Happy holidays.
Bryan

Mr X
12-22-2006, 07:37 PM
Bryan, the Latham bracket sheds a whole new light on the leak, I did not see that in the original post.
It is possible that the top vent screw is loose, and the oil is running down to that bolt area. Look VERY closely at the entire area from the top down. I doubt that is is comming out from that bolt area.

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
12-22-2006, 08:38 PM
Ted, I will take that advice, thanks, I will go take a closer look tomorrow maybe. It just all seems odd to me. Yet if it was the vent (screw I think is what you are trying to tell me) it would stream straight down due to gravity, the drives are always in the down position in the BoatTel.

Most likely I have always had the issue and didn't know it. The drive fluid is changed often, never a sign of water, and I do use the Merc recommended lube, no fancy stuff. I am over dramatic with fluids, one because they are cheap and two because it is something to do with the boat on a rainy day etc, besides blowing the Marina away with a couple thousand watts of sound out of my newly installed Stereo head, amps and IPOD... :) (I refuse to grow up!)

Thanks
Bryan

Magicallbill
12-23-2006, 02:53 AM
Bryan;
Is your drive an XZ Bravo?

I ask because I own an '02 Scorpion 18 with the XZ drive, and I had 2 that had to be replaced(I mean complete outdrives,) because of a drive oil leak(blue fluid.)
It was determined that the leak was the result of a bad casting in both cases. The current drive was from an improved batch, and I've had no more trouble.
The drive would be 3/4 down for winter storage, and when I would trim it up for the 1st run in the spring, gravity took over, and the blue fluid ran out the 3 holes on the bottom of the drive.
Hopefully yours is a different(and easier) problem.
They have discontinued trhe XZ drives, I'm told..I'm glad I finally got a good one.(Knock on wood.)

MB.

Mr X
12-23-2006, 06:36 AM
Negative on the vent screw, look at the studs comming out of the top cap for the Latham bracket.

LKSD
12-23-2006, 08:34 AM
Brian,
If they cleaned the detent ball for the shift arm in the drive the rear cap on the upper housing would have come off to do that. If you run in salt or dirty water or had shifting difficulties some places pop that cover off to clean the ball, spring & lever. If they did it could be either residual oil or if they reused the oring it may not have fully sealed.. Again thats if they they removed it (I know you mentioned they were supposedly not removed).. The other thought is maybe they drained & refilled the drives & slopped some lube over there accidentally & missed wiping it off.. (possibly the filler hose from the lube barrel dribbled oil out of the hose when they were moving it around)... Just a thought If you need me to elaborate on what I mean, give me a shout, I have the phone forwarded to me..;) Jamie / Lakeside 570-639-2628


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