Water in lower unit?

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by Blue_Runner

CHECK THIS FIRST - one of my friends kept getting water in his LU. He would change the oil before he used it every time. Come to find out he did not have drain plug gaskets on either of the drain plug screws. So of course water was coming in.....

That is one thing - the other which Phatdaddy alluded to - those drain plug gaskets are cheap and should be replaced every time you change the oil. If you fail to do this they can wear out, get brittle, compressed, etc. over time, leading to water intrusion. Bottom line if you aren't already, spend $5 on the drain plug gaskets at every oil change. I've been doing this for 15 years and never a sign of water intrusion with over 1000 hours.

I used to buy new gaskets and always had new screws if I chewed one up getting it off....or dropped it in the bucket of oil....

[steplift20]

All you guys gave me good advice, first thing I'm going to do is replace the two o rinds on the screws then if I'm still getting water I'm giving it to my mechanic, I am ok at replacing things but I want it fixed right so I will let someone else who does that , I will let you know what happens after the gaskets are changed

[steplift20]

Ok I didn't get it fixed yet but I changed the lower unit oil and ran the motor with ear muffs and didn't lower the motor in water, I changed the oil again and it was discollered again , I think it might be the seals below the water impeller housing, what do you think? I got a price to reseal the lower unit and was told about 600 dollars. That seems high to me what do you guys think? Thanks

[SkunkBoat]

it could be either or both...or a crack....

remove lower unit. take it to an outboard service shop. tell them what you you said here. Tell them to change the upper and lower seals, pressure test it, fill it up and charge you accordingly.
There is just no getting around it.

If you drop it off now you might be fishing when fluke season opens.

[steplift20]

Skunkboat you said it could be the seals under the impeller housing , tell me what you think ,if it was the seal by the prop wouldn't I get oil ozzing out by the prop? Also is it hard to change the two oil seals under the housing ?

[SkunkBoat]

like I said before
"Sometimes on some motors the top one can be changed with common tools ...if it is not stuck...The bottom one needs tools and know how."

[phatdaddy]

If u are getting water intrusion on a hose, without submerging the prop shaft or oil port & drain, i d say water pump seal or cracked housing.

When u say oil is discolored, is it milky white or just not clear like when u put it in?

As far as $600 for repair, If that is pulling lower unit, pressure checking, repairing as needed, installing new water pump, and reinstalling lower unit, its not too bad.

[steplift20]

No good, I replaced the oil drain plugs,water impeller ,two thermostats and the base for the water pump housing , I ran my engine two times on the ear muffs never put the prop in water,changed the oil and its worst , the first two times I changed it it was a dark green now after everything I did it's a light green and the oil I'm using is pennzoil 80 -90 weight .what did I do wrong ?

[phatdaddy]

Not sure of color, bot water & oil looks like a milkshake, oil looks like oil

What do you have, oil or milkshake?

[steplift20]

It looks like antifreeze that color