www.iFourWinns.com

Guys, I changed my gear lube last fall in my twin Volvo Penta SX's.

All Ive ever owned is Volvo Penta DP/SX's and their predecessor's (OMC Cobras). What Im trying to say is, Ive always been aware and cautious of the infamous "air bubble" that can form if you dont fill the outdrives from the bottom.

This year I cant get the outdrive oil levels right. When I pulled the dipsticks, oil was all the way to the top I siphoned gear lube out until it was at the right level on the dipstick.

5 minutes later, the oil is at the top of the dipstick again!! I suction it out again, and 5 minutes later, its full again all over again! What am I doing wrong?? Why have I never had this problem before??

I might be guilty of filling it too quickly - I DO remember pumping it really quickly last fall as it was really cold out and I wanted to be done with it. Now that I re-read the directions in the manual, it says to do it slowly. Could THAT be my problem, and if so, how do I remedy this?

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Drain her and start again. How much oil did you pump into her? Any where near spec. Did you get all of the old stuff out?

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2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

That is curious. When I fill my OMC Cobra I put the dipstick in the hole in the top cap but do not screw it in. This allow air to escape when Pumping in the gear oil.
With the Volvo there is a fill and a vent separate from the top dipstick. Is it possible that the vent is clogged?
Try topping off with both the vent plug and the top dipstick out. When it's full let it sit for a while and re check

_________________
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

Acguy- when I drained it, I let it drain overnight. Nothing was dripping out by the time I started to re-fill it. Im certain it was empty.

If I read correctly, my manual says the SX drive takes 71oz - can anybody confirm this?

Last year I bought 4 quarts of gear oil, put 71oz in the 1 outdrive and the rest in the other outdrive, then the next day went and bought another quart and topped the one outdrive up.

Im going to go with my gut and your advice, and drain and refill again. I do not trust this situation, and I do not want to burn up my outdrives Like I said, I am guilty of pumping it in real fast - that might be the problem here.

Louc- There is a vent screw that you can remove, underneath the plastic cover on the outdrive. I never have removed the vent. Some people do, some dont. When I drain and refill it tomorrow, I am now going to remove the vent screw and see if that changes anything.

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Are you filling from the bottom (drain) screw? Or from the top where the dipstick is?

As I recall, you're supposed to fill it from the bottom with a threaded adapter.

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Yes, I am filling from the bottom. I have the special threaded adapter and a hand pump. I pump 2 quarts of gear lube in through the lower unit, until it reaches the dipstick, then I add as necessary to get it to the correct level.

I cant imagine what I did differently last fall, but I have NEVER overfilled any of my OMC or Volvo Penta outdrives and have never had any issues whatsoever filling them.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

I always pull my vent screw and stop when it comes out. Then install vent screw check level and then usually Need another pump in through the dip stick to obtain the proper level

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

I never have pulled the vent screw, but I will tomorrow when I drain/refill! I dont want any outdrive shenanigans popping up this summer, lol.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

You can pump as quick as you want with the. Ent screw pulled

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

UPDATE:

Today I started to refill the outdrive, and got about 30 ounces in when it started to seep out the vent hole. I curiously poked the vent hole with a slot screwdriver, to see if it was clogged or something and I couldnt believe it!! About 50 spiders crawled out. They were blocking the passages in my outdrive and causing it to overflow!!


















hehe Just kidding

I refilled the outdrives with the new oil I drained out of both in clean containers (glad ware from the kitchen...shhhh dont tell my better half!) lol. I had a leftover Amsoil quart bottle with "Ounce" marks so I could easily measure what went back into the outdrives. This time I removed the vent screw and followed the manual's directions to the "T". I pumped the hand pump slowly and took a few breaks in between to give air time to bubble and get out. When I got to around 72 ounces, gear lube started to seep out the vent tube. I put the vent screw in, pumped the hand pump about 5 more times (to make up for the oil that will spill out when I remove the pump fitting and re-insert the drain plug) screwed in the dipstick, and waited 15 minutes.

Wouldnt you know it.. 15 minutes later, I check the dipsticks and the level was almost perfectly to the fill line!! I consider it a job well done.

Now ... on to what I did last year - Im still not sure WHAT I was thinking, but I know I was pumping the oil in way too fast and did NOT remove the vent screw. I had each outdrive overfilled by 1/4 quart of gear lube

Tomorrows launch day by the way. Glad to have this all behind me now. Lesson learned: Pump the oil in SLoooooowly and make sure to remove the vent screw too. Got it.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

That actually does make sense. It sounds like by trying to not lose gear oil when you take off the threaded adaptor, you were actually pressurizing the outdrive with a bit of extra oil. When I do the Cobra, I drain, replace the bottom screw and fill from the next one up on the side of the lower unit, but with the dipstick just sitting in the top cover hole which allows air out so all the oil can go in. Then to not lose oil, I screw the dipstick in, which keeps most of the oil from seeping out. I quickly replace the fill plug. Then I remove the dipstick and place it in the hole to allow any air bubbles to escape. Finally I top it off from the top hole to make up for any oil that leaked out when removing the pump fitting.

The only time mine has ever been over full was when a seal leaked and the drive sucked water in when the gear oil cooled off.

Now if you start using the boat and the levels are fine, but when you pull it they are high, that is a tip off to a seal that leaks under vacuum. The gear oil heats up and pressurizes the air in the drive. Then it cools off and contracts and that tends to pull in water.

_________________
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

Yeah I was doing something wrong, thats for sure ((smacks forehead))

I learned that just removing the dipstick to refill a Cobra SX from the bottom drain plug isnt enough. The vent screw has to be removed to relieve air or whatever the heck is going on in there.

I also learned that it takes a few minutes AFTER you are done pumping all the oil in the bottom for it to read on the dipstick (this phenomenon is also in the manual). Maybe last year I kept pumping oil in to get it to read on the dipstick, not realizing I was supposed to give it a few minutes to "work its way up". Bizarre to me, the whole thing. I never had any problems on my 99 Vista which had the Duo-prop or my 91 Sundowner with the King Cobra, or my 87 Larson which had the regular clutch dog Cobra. For some reason, my SX's are slightly more fickle.

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

That spider part was not cool...I had visions of the movie Arachnophobia. That movie scarred me for life.

_________________
Seth




2005 210 Horizon
5.0L GXi
"Don't Think Twice"

Sorry had to do it

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Yep, that's exactly the part that I remember most. The spiders crawling from the sink. You just brought it all back for me!

_________________
Seth




2005 210 Horizon
5.0L GXi
"Don't Think Twice"