Gear Lubricant runs low.

[wet_coast_kid]

Hope someone can help me with this problem. My gear lubricant reservoir is going down. I'm not sure if this is a beginning of the year issue, since I had a mechanic winterize the boat, and will normal-out, or if I should be alerted by it. A run from McDonald Beach to Bowen Island (each way) has the reservoir from Full to just above the Add Line.
Any ideas?
Also there are two unconnected wires that attach under the gear lube reservoir. Do they connect to something or is it normal to have them sit like that?
TIA.

 

[scott craven]

need more info, motor, HP, year ?

 

[Hourstonglassic]

Those are for the low oil alarm, does the boat live in the water or is it a trailer boat? Look for gear lube leaking on the ground, if it's not leaking onto the ground from anywhere it's most likely leaking inside of your ujoint bellows. Did your mechanic change the leg oil? It could be as simple as topping the reservoir back up and see if it drops again, if it does leg should come
Off and be pressure and vacuumed checked

 

[wet_coast_kid]

According to my mechanic, it wasn't leaking in the bellows. And yeah, he changed the leg oil last fall. Weird? I been topping it up the two times I took it out this year. I trailer it, btw.

 

[wet_coast_kid]

I have a 4.3L Merc 2001 inboard

 

[profisher]

Anytime something goes south right after being in the shop I suspect something was forgotten by the mechanic. Case in point...just after having new brakes installed on my Astro Van it developed a bad rattle on the front passenger side going over bumps. Take it back and he says I think you Cat is coming apart inside...never took it for a drive. The van had 300K on it so I thought that was probable. Took it to a shop and had the Cat removed...rattle still there. Took it back again and told him to drive the thing. He takes it around the block and pulls back in and says it does it when you apply the brakes too and agrees front passenger side. We pull the wheel and there is only 1 bolt holding the caliper on. I should have stuck with my gut I would have saved the expense of removing the Cat.

 

[wet_coast_kid]

I suspect the same thing. When I talk to him, he sorta reassures that its ok. Just feel weird, all of a sudden, I have to keep adding gear oil.

 

[Thunder21]

The gear oil is going somewhere. When you fill the leg you pump from the bottom hole until it comes out the top hole. You close that hole and continue pumping until the reservoir is at the proper level. There should be no time needed to"normal out" . I just had some basic stuff done on my leg and I couldn't believe the new issues I had after I got it back from the mechanic. Took them 2 more tries just to sort out the new problems they caused .

 

[wolf]

Once its filled thats it your losing oil somewhere be it under load out a shaft seal or somewhere else thats the great thing about the oil res.it tells you if something is wrong losing isnt so bad as you can keep topping it up.
But making oil and seeing it milk up is bad either way you have something wrong with it.