Outboard lower unit leaking, am I grasping at straws here?

[Breakin"even]

I noticed oil leaking from behined prop last fall, checked leg oil and found milky oil. I checked with the shops in Nanaimo for a quote and nobody would look at it. I looked at replacing the seals but I don't have proper tool for the job. Its old stack 6 115hp Merc. runs perfect every year. I see that they make stop leak additive for auto rear differential. Has anyone heard of this working here for a short term fix?

 

[daddystoy]

For an outboard??!!
I wouldn't even try.
Fix it properly or you'll be buying a new motor...which may or may not be a bad thing.

 

[scott craven]

Sounds like prop shaft seal.
you may be able to rent a puller, but considering your
motor is probably 40 years old, you may have some corrosion issues.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Prop shaft seal. I had same thing on my old main outboard on another boat. It will leak behind prop.

 

[Reel Gone]

Allen Marine in Nanaimo wont look at it? This needs to be repaired or you will have a catastrophic failure from water intrusion, any form of stop leak is a bandaid at best and it’s likely a shaft seal as Scott has mentioned.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Go to Allen Marine Service. Haha post beat me to it. These guys were awesome. Fixed my boat just before my hardy trip last year, and made room for me.

 

[Breakin"even]

Renting a puller is a good idea, anyone know where I can rent one in Nanaimo area?
She's going on 46 years old but spent 98% of the time in fresh water with very low hours for her age.
Hopefully corrosion would be minimal. I hear you need to heat the unit up with a tiger tourch before
pulling. Otherwise does anyone know a good mechanice willing to try to replace the shaft seals in the Nanaimo area.

 

[Pineapple Express]

Get it fixed. I blew a lower unit due to fishing line wrapped around the prop shaft which took out the shaft seal. Motor worked great and I thought I could run it until a repair was convenient...until the lower unit let go suddenly and the engine just hit the rev limiter. Fortunately the boat had twins so I still made it back to the dock.

 

[Breakin"even]

I tried Allens, Parker, and boathouse. They all had the same answer, buy a new one.
Without sufficient funds for that and after 28 years without even a hiccup of a mechanic bill,
I would like to get a few more years out of her, I talked to "Stoppin Tom" and he offered an old very used
lower unit for 500.00 but who knows what shape the unit is in.

 

[prodjsaig]

I just did the top seals and oil and prop shift deals myself. After about 15 years you need to do the top heal and water pump base assembly. Base assembly with two seals was $50. Each oil case and prop shaft $26.

Get a drill bit and drill into the prop seal and then hammer a flat screw driver into it and pull them out. Not bad at all and then you're meant to use perfect seal or loctite red on the outside of the seals and mercury Teflon grease (could use gear oil) on the inside of the seals. Tap them in not hard at all.

 

[wescanmarine]

If you send me your gear case I will reseal it. Can ship it for 25 bucks to delta. Mercs are a pain in the butt to disassemble the hub. Welcome to mercland

 

[Sharphooks]

I’m dealing with this issue on a 15 Hp Yamaha. I’d either take wescanmarine up on his offer or if you’re set on a DYI, do a search on Youtube and there are a couple of vids that show the same approach as what prodjsaig is suggesting.

One of the vids shows a guy drilling holes, one on each side of the seals, then he screws sheet-rock screws into the holes and backs the seals out of their hidey-holes with twin flat-bar nail-pullers.....slick....

But I’d def research getting the replacement seals before trying that approach....good luck

 

[wescanmarine]

Put it this way Ive disassembled and reassembled a thousand gearcases at least. Evinrude cases I can have apart in 10 minutes, mercs half hour to hour depending on the case model, yamaha.. **** yamaha gearcases. Biggest pieces of **** in the world to get apart. Good luck. Don't do anything weird and mess up the case

 

[wescanmarine]

Also there are hub seals that can also leak, so trying to devise a plan to remove the prop shaft seals your wasting your time. Honestly I would reseal the entire case. Or find a used assembly

 

[Pudsey]

Another possibility might be Dean's Marine in Duncan. Worth a phone call anyway.

 

[Breakin"even]

Resealing the entire case makes sense if it comes apart as planned, I have a lower unit seal kit as well as a impeller kit.
Is there a special puller or just a regular bearing puller work?
Westcanmarine, I would like an estamate for the job. Thank You guy's for your input.
I really need to get out on the water.

 

[profisher]

On low hour engines it can be as simple as resealing the lower unit. On higher hour units the seals can wear grooves into the prop shaft and the driveshaft...just replacing the seals won't fix it unless you shim the seal so it rides off that groove...or repair the shafts by spray welding them and eliminating the wear spot.

 

[wescanmarine]

Resealing the entire case makes sense if it comes apart as planned, I have a lower unit seal kit as well as a impeller kit.
Is there a special puller or just a regular bearing puller work?
Westcanmarine, I would like an estamate for the job. Thank You guy's for your input.
I really need to get out on the water.

I cannot give estimates unfortunetly. Just depends on how things come apart. Shop time, material and shipping.