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After every trip (about 8hrs worth) my volvo penta is about 1/2 down on the stick. when i open the stick i can hear air rushing out like its under a little pressure, and i see no oil on the driveway. could i be losing it out the prop shaft while it is spinning only?

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republicans, working hard so you dont have to.

Gear oil or engine oil?

If it's gear oil and it's a VP SX or DPS, are you refilling it from the top or the bottom?; they should be filled from the bottom, to stop airlocks. If you fill it from the top and stick the dipstick in, it might look full or even over full to begin with, but the level drops quite slowly over time as the air rises to the top. If that's not the cause, yes, it could drip past the propshaft seal but I'd have expected some oil to witness after it was standing a while in your driveway, especially if there was some air pressure in there from it getting hot.

If it's a Mercruiseer, I have no idea or experience.

If it's engine oil and crankcase pressure you're talking about, first thing to check is for a blocked crankcase ventilation valve.

Graham

The air rushing out is more than likely pressure being built up by the hot oil expanding the air in the chamber. I would suspect that you have a seal leaking by somewhere inside the drive. I am amazed that the oil can get hot enough though beause the drive is submerged in water which essentially acts like a cooling bath and the cooling water for the water also passes through the drive. You could have pin hole somewhere in that engine cooling system. I think you should drain the oil, and put a 5 psi air test on the drive and see if it holds. If the pressure drops then you know you have a leak somewhere and the drive will nead service. I also wonder if you have a bearing or alignment issue in the drive that is causing excess heat to be generated.

If it worries you alot then maybe it is best to take it in for service.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

i filled it up again on friday, took a overnight trip, now its barely reading on the stick. how easy is it to replace a propshaft seal? i would like to nurse it along until the end of the season before i remove it. it must leak only when its running because i see no oil on the driveway during the week.

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republicans, working hard so you dont have to.

I agree about having the shop take care of it. If it's a shaft seal they'll be equipped to repair it right, and either way it ought to be pressure tested just to be safe. Are you sure water isn't getting into the drive (does the fluid have any milky appearance to it)?

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
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