Ive had 3 failures in 100 hours. Is there anything that can be done to avoid this? I dont over fill the lube. Ive owned a bunch of outboards and this is my second Merc/Sportmaster combo...help!
Ive had 3 failures in 100 hours. Is there anything that can be done to avoid this? I dont over fill the lube. Ive owned a bunch of outboards and this is my second Merc/Sportmaster combo...help!
Pressure test the gearcase at 15 psi (no fluid in gearcase, please).
Spray soapy water around the propshaft seal, and see if you don't notice the problem.
Dual Mercury Master Technician- for Mercury Outboards, Mercruiser and Mercury Racing at European Marine in Greenville, SC.
Still consider myself a "Marine Apprentice" after 48 years (learn something new every day).
Mercury Parts, Mercury Outboards, Smartcraft & Accessories, Injector Service, TDR Reeds- BBC Sponsor
Rob,
The Sportmaster units run much hotter than other units since they run on the waters surface.
Whenever I fill a Sportmaster with oil, I fill until the oil runs out of the vent as on all units. Once oil is draining from the vent, I will let it sit until there is no oil drizzling out of the vent after cleaning the oil away from the vent hole, (this could take 5 mins. or longer). This way when the oil expands there is room in the case for the expansion. If you fill it until the oil drains from the vent and install the vent plug right away, it is over full and will purge out of the shift shaft seal as it is a single lip seal intentionally designed to do so.
Also, if any other seal is leaking water in, the water will force the oil up and out of the purge/shift shaft seal.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by fastglass1 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">How much lower unit oil do you put in?
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Most of the Sporty's will hold 27-28 ounces.
In addition to the precautions Lee mentioned (VERY good practice, by the way), you can allow about 1-2 oz to spill out as you're putting in the lower drain plug. This will slightly lower the fluid level, allowing ample expansion area for surface-run applications.
The driveshaft bearings on the Fleetmaster, Torquemaster and Sportmaster gearcases are not "bath-lubricated" (fluid is channeled off the lower gears and actually "pumped" up through a chamber to lubricate these bearings).
Dual Mercury Master Technician- for Mercury Outboards, Mercruiser and Mercury Racing at European Marine in Greenville, SC.
Still consider myself a "Marine Apprentice" after 48 years (learn something new every day).
Mercury Parts, Mercury Outboards, Smartcraft & Accessories, Injector Service, TDR Reeds- BBC Sponsor
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by EuropeanAM »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">you can allow about 1-2 oz to spill out as you're putting in the lower drain plug. </td></tr></table>
This is what I was going to add if he was not doing it already. I started doing this after having my shift shaft seal pop out of position and after I talk twice to Merc racing and they recommended it.
Once I started doing this I never had the seal pop out again.
I also did some searching and found a new shift shaft seal assembly that had a slight different design that had the seal captured so it could not come out. Don't remember where I saw it but knew if I had the problem again, I would have ordered one. It was a bit more expensive, but worth the piece of mind.
The owners manual for my new 300XS sporty says 24 oz. You can take that for what it is worth but that is all I will put in mine when I change it.
The 3L engines are diffent than the 2.5's. The gear case is much larger and the design on the shift shaft seal carrier is much better.
I think my 250XS list 28 oz and I know that it will take 32 oz before it comes out of the upper vent hole.
Like you, I follow the recommendation in the manual on my 3L.
I could be wrong but I think the 300xs is a 3.2 liter!!
Conner: It's still early out west and he probably hasn't had his coffee yet, I'm sure he just miss read what you got
I am sure that he just missed it but I had to poke a little fun at him!
The shift shaft seal should not pop out of the seal carrier. If it does, someone did not loc-tite it in properly. Most, even Mercury, use to say not to use loc-tite on the outside of a seal that is rubber on the outside like a shift shaft seal. If loc-tite is not used on that seal, then it will pop out.
It is a single lip seal designed to purge oil past the shaft seal lip, not pop out.
I didn't mention the part about draining an ounce or so out after filling since most, including myself, will loose that much lube while installing the lower plug into the carrier anyway.
Folks, I put exactly 24 ozs in that gearcase which by the way...is NOT enough for the lube to start seeping out of the top drain plug hole. I also have the motor trimmed up so that when I detach the fill hose, Im not losing very much lube. I hear and understand what everyone is saying...but Im pretty sure that I am NOT overfilling!
SORRY Conner. I did miss a couple of things with this post. Yours just being one.
The shift shaft seal on my 250XS is designed in a way that I don't think it is possibly to pop out like it did on my 225 ProMax.
I do agree that you are filling correctly, so I guess the question I have is what is the failure that you are seeing? Is it just water getting into the lower unit and the dealer telling you it is the shift shaft seal or are you actually seeing damage to the seal?
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by EuropeanAM »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Pressure test the gearcase at 15 psi (no fluid in gearcase, please).
Spray soapy water around the propshaft seal, and see if you don't notice the problem.
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I think you'll find the cause of your repeat problem with shift shaft seals if you'll perform the test described above (inner propshaft seal leaking/damaged).
Dual Mercury Master Technician- for Mercury Outboards, Mercruiser and Mercury Racing at European Marine in Greenville, SC.
Still consider myself a "Marine Apprentice" after 48 years (learn something new every day).
Mercury Parts, Mercury Outboards, Smartcraft & Accessories, Injector Service, TDR Reeds- BBC Sponsor
Dominic does a douple seal some how and it ended my shift shaft problems to date.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Largemouthlou »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Dominic does a douple seal some how and it ended my shift shaft problems to date.</td></tr></table>
Me too!
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