outdrive oil

[corky]

I have a 2002 232 captiva the outdrive oil resevoir in the engine compartment seems to lose oil. Not alot, but has to be topped off every once in awhile is this normal? I checked for leaks and didn't find any I could see just wondering if theres somewhere else I should be looking?

Thanks   

[BigSioux232]

Corky, do you have a Bravo III (Counter Rotating Prop) lower unit?  I have a Bravo III and although I don't have a leaky seal, I need to add fluid about once in 30 hours.  You may want to have your lower unit pressure checked by a servicing dealer just to be sure.  If you had a really bad leak, your lower unit lube would look milky after running or water would be the first thing to come out when you pull the plug after sitting at least overnight. 

[corky]

I just bought the boat last year, and I think its an alpha 1 not sure. I did have it checked and they said there are no leaks. just curious about it

  thanks alot'
Corky

[dpmcgarry]

Yeah my mechanic said the B3 drives are designed to burn/leak just a little lube, so you have to check it and top it off occasionally!

[Dream 'Inn]

I used to have an alpha one, gen II.  I can't say that it leaked oil except when I had an issue.  There is a seal around the upper drive shaft, that, in time can start leaking.  It actually wore a groove on the shaft, so I had a metal sleeve made basically the same size, then heated to expand and put on.  Sounds like a major job, but really wasn't.  Was a whole lot cheaper than installing a new shaft and after many years, that boat shaft is still going strong.  I will say though alpha one parts are fairly cheap, at least compare to the bravo drives.

[dazeoff]

i have   dpmcgarry,s experience  , my Gen 111 needs topped up once a year , i put it down to the oil filling air pockets in the drive mechanism during the run cycle ... however i had an alpha 1 for 10 years and never topped it up ..mine was bullit proof ..my guess is that you have a small fluid discharge happening when under power ..so not noticeable on the dock ...

[Capt Ron]

Filling it initially, and then topping it up later is normal. Like Dazeoff said, you got to burp the system after draining and refill in the fall. Constant oil refilling is a problem. A little useage like a couple of oz a year is normal. Refilling the entire lube container is not normal.

[Babyboomer]

I started losing oil about 3 years ago and it ended up being the shaft seal hard to detect and expensive to repair

[corky]

Guys according to the boat mechanic at the end of the season said he did a pressure check. He said it was O.K.
 It isn't that much I have to add I add it about once a month depending on how much I use it. They had to replace my gimbel bearing so they said they checked it. I hope it was true. I will be able to tell this summer what happens. Thanks for all your help. One more question is it normal for white smoke to come from the engine outdrive.
 Corky 

[Babyboomer]

Guys according to the boat mechanic at the end of the season said he did a pressure check. He said it was O.K.
 It isn't that much I have to add I add it about once a month depending on how much I use it. They had to replace my gimbel bearing so they said they checked it. I hope it was true. I will be able to tell this summer what happens. Thanks for all your help. One more question is it normal for white smoke to come from the engine outdrive.
 Corky 

Depends is it a cold start? Does it do it every time you start hot or cold?

Smoke signals:

    * White smoke = water vapor
    * Blue smoke = Oil
    * Black smoke = unburnt fuel

[BigSioux232]

One more question is it normal for white smoke to come from the engine outdrive.
 Corky 

It is if it's the first start of the season and the dealer fogged the engine the previous fall.  Otherwise, you might see steam coming out of there if running with muffs on because the water exiting the outdrive just came from the jacket in the block.

[Capt Ron]

Guys according to the boat mechanic at the end of the season said he did a pressure check. He said it was O.K.
 It isn't that much I have to add I add it about once a month depending on how much I use it. They had to replace my gimbel bearing so they said they checked it. I hope it was true. I will be able to tell this summer what happens. Thanks for all your help. One more question is it normal for white smoke to come from the engine outdrive.
 Corky 

It is normal to see white smoke from the outdrive area when the engine is running. It's just exhaust. Sometimes you can see it underway on the plane too. Tends to show up more when the engine is warming up.

[dpmcgarry]

Like Sioux said if it was your first outing may have been due to the engine being fogged.  Normal part of winterization.

[frodo13056]

You may want to check the drain / vent plugs on your drive. I've seen where the drain plug wasn't snugged up causing a minor leak and I've also seen the gaskets for the drain / vent plugs go bad and cause a leak. There are 2 types of these drain  / vent plug gaskets - I've used the regular gasket type material ones and also the neoprene o-ring looking type. Not sure what your drive uses but they are very inexpensive and should be changed out every year or so.