Drive oil - Maxum Boat Owners Club

vffb507 · 10-14-2011, 05:56 PM

I've been watching the level in my resivour and noticed that it is dropping a wee little bit with each use. After putting about 40 hrs on her since purchase it has dropped about 1/4".. Is this normal??? I have no oil in bilge and have never noticed any on the water either. Its not usinf enough to warrant tearing things apart either, but just wondered if it is normal to consume some oil over time?

seapuppy · 10-14-2011, 07:20 PM

well...two thoughts in my mind...if your just loosing a little..it's got to be going somewhere......so...it's either the end shaft seal or maybe the one of the plugs or on the top that shaft seal....it has to be going someplace........

since it's such a small amount...you have a few options...keep filling the reservoir....or take it to a shop and have them replace all the seals....check shaft alignment and true...shouldn't cost you much of a fortune....maybe one boat buck.....(ie about up to a grand..maybe less)....but the easiest test to do is pressure check it .....do a leak down test.....if you loose any air...the seals are bad....

:+SP

bmax · 10-15-2011, 12:08 PM

Is that on a bravo 3 drive? The reason I ask is that I was told they have a vent on the top of the drive and when you run them at higher speeds the oil will expand enough to force a little out the vent. I'm on my 3rd boat with b3 drives and they all have used a little drive oil but there has never been a trace of it in the bilge.

bmax

seapuppy · 10-15-2011, 04:17 PM

never heard that one before...and I've got 2 ea/ b3 drives right now....

SP

vffb507 · 10-19-2011, 05:44 PM

Thanks for the replies.. It is a A1gen2, so that b3 idea no worky.... There is so little lost, not sure if I could find it past regular grease etc... Drive was removed and bellows replaced end of last season, but other than related necessary stuff nothing else was apparently done.
Have just found out that cousin of wife is apprenticing boat mechanic though.... 2nd cousin much removed, but he still likes beer!!! May have to put this to him.. He will be coming to help me replace the impeller either once I go to winterize or in spring... (wish they'd done that when bellows too.)

seapuppy · 10-19-2011, 08:14 PM

well....you do what you want...but if it were me ...I'd have a certified mechanic check it out...rather than the bil....could get expensive if you let family mess with it.....
I'd replace the impeller during spring commissioning....a new one sitting for a few months might not be good on the blades and they can take a set ...not seal properly...

SP