www.iFourWinns.com

Hey Guys!

Just took off the stern drive for the annual inspection and re-lube.

The bellows were full of what looked to be degraded grease or drive lube. No milkyness so no water is present.

Could it be a bad input shaft seal or maybe just overflow from greasing the gimbal bearing or U-Joint?

This is my first time servicing this boat.

It is 2000 268 Vista with the DP drive.

Thank you all!

I cannot post pics to save my life but they should be here: http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tcouture23/slideshow/

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2000 268 Vista

There will be grease in there for sure but there should not be drive oil. You can get a leak from the input shaft seal and sometimes if the drive sucks in water, the oil can get pushed out past that seal. If it is definitely drive oil then you should do a pressure/vaccum check. Might be time for some new seals....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Is your drive oil low? From the pics it does seem to have oil in the bellows.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Hey Guys!

I changed my drive oil before I pulled the outdrive but it didnt seem low at all.

To me it looks like "broke down grease" but I am just letting my OCD take over.

I am swapping out the (2) drive shaft seals.

Without getting out the manual - is the pressure check on the drive difficult?

Thank you both!
Trevor

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2000 268 Vista

After looking at your pictures that's exactly what it looks like. My bellows have the same semi liquid grease in them at the end of every season, so nothing to worry about. Which 2 seals are you replacing?

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Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

+1

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

Just the (2) o-rings on the driveshaft that interface with the gimble bearing ... and the water seal for the sea water inlet.

Replacing those and lubricated everything with either gimble/ujoint grease or Triple Guard.

Do you guys re-use the (6) locknuts or replace annually ... I am on the fence.

Thanks for all the helps guys!
~Trevor

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2000 268 Vista

I reuse them unless they look beat up and the nylon is all messed up

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

I donno guys, the grease in mine never looks watery like that, I use Pennzoil Marine wheel bearing grease and it looks like grease, not watery. I'd still check that drive for water and seal leaks. BTW how did the area right under the input seal look? Wet or dry?

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Hey LouC,

The whole area was pretty wet with lube. I am going to re-inspect the input bearing seal tonight.

I should note that I did not service my drive last year so this build up would be for two full seasons (summer 2011 and summer 2012). My boat is also used regulary each weekend ... about 50 hrs a season.

It has been pulled and serviced every year before that.

Thanks Again!
Trevor

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2000 268 Vista

Well something's up, either you got gear oil there (take a sample and sniff it and then compare it to what the gear oil from the bottle smells like), or, maybe you do have some water in the bellows making the grease look milky just like if you had water in the trailer wheel bearings. The ujoints and shaft looked good as in no rust from what I could see in your pix. How old is the driveshaft bellows?

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II