Outdrive Oil Monitor / Reservoir - Maxum Boat Owners Club

carolinadiver1 · 08-15-2011, 12:54 PM

Hope someone is sitting on their boat looking over the forum this morning and can jump right into the engine bay and answer this question.....while I'm at work jealous with envy!

My monitor continues to overflow spilling oil into the bilge. The alarm sounds and I have to shutdown, access and refill. Reading through some maintenance literature it mention that a build up of pressure could potentially blow out the drive seals etc. etc.. In a different service manual it talks specifically about putting drive oil on the monitor seal or gasket and not overtighting.

My question is.....Is there an oring or seal in the cap of the monitor? What is the part number or were can I get one because mine does not have one. Currently I do not have a seal other than the vent plug in the top center of the cap.

Thanks everyone

vffb507 · 08-15-2011, 01:23 PM

Okay don't be jealous, I'm at work too.... But I'm confused, your "monitor"?? Is this the resivour tank in the engine bay for the outdrive oil?

carolinadiver1 · 08-15-2011, 01:26 PM

Yes, it's the reservoir. It's referred to as "monitor" in the parts/maintenance manuals.

vffb507 · 08-15-2011, 01:44 PM

Guess I should get one AND read it.. LOL
Mine only has the rubber bit in the middle for the vent also. I assume that plastic cap on plastic reservoir is self sealing? I do get a small amount of oil from the vent after use, but VERY little.. Sounds to me like something in yours is plugged somewhere to cause such large loss.. Hopefully someone with better info can chime in on this is!

Bella Sera 3300SCR · 08-15-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolinadiver1

Hope someone is sitting on their boat looking over the forum this morning and can jump right into the engine bay and answer this question.....while I'm at work jealous with envy!

My monitor continues to overflow spilling oil into the bilge. The alarm sounds and I have to shutdown, access and refill. Reading through some maintenance literature it mention that a build up of pressure could potentially blow out the drive seals etc. etc.. In a different service manual it talks specifically about putting drive oil on the monitor seal or gasket and not overtighting.

My question is.....Is there an oring or seal in the cap of the monitor? What is the part number or were can I get one because mine does not have one. Currently I do not have a seal other than the vent plug in the top center of the cap.

Thanks everyone

Sup' Carolinadriver1,

My 350 MAG MPI port engine did the same thing last season, and yes there is a rubber flat o ring gasket that is supposed to be intergrated in the reservior cap. You can buy a new cap sererately (sorry don't have the part #.) Make sure that you don't over fill the bottle and that the "Full / Add Sticker is on the side of the Bottle. That hypoid oil makes a stinking freaking mess in the bilge don't it?!

I replaced the cap and it never happened again. God I love it when solutions are simple! Hope yours is too.

Bella Sera 33300SCR Out.

carolinadiver1 · 08-15-2011, 02:26 PM

Lol!......carolinadriver....It's funny how many people stick that "r" in there. Happens all the time.

Thanks for the great info. I will start my search for a new cap. Also, is there any other type pressure relief on a Bravo II outdrive.

Bella Sera 3300SCR · 08-15-2011, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolinadiver1

Lol!......carolinadriver....It's funny how many people stick that "r" in there. Happens all the time.

Thanks for the great info. I will start my search for a new cap. Also, is there any other type pressure relief on a Bravo II outdrive.

Got my glasses on now, much better. Anyhoo, the cap is a siphon air inlet. not outlet as far I could tell to allow for oil to draw in . I don't think there is any other pressure outlet, besides the air space in the drive upper hear housing left for expansion of the oil. All I can tell you is it worked for me by replacing the cap with rubber seal.

Take care Carolinad-I-ver1!

Bell Sera 3300SCR Out.

carolinadiver1 · 08-15-2011, 03:12 PM

Lol.

Thanks Bella Sera. I will be getting a new cap.

carolinadiver1 · 09-02-2011, 01:58 PM

Continued having problems after adding an o-ring seal to the cap. No overflow, but still lost oil. Ended up splitting lower unit and it was missing the Quad Ring. Whoever had it apart before forgot to put it back I guess. Haven't ran boat yet, but hope the gear lube issue is fixed......Now the alarm.....The gear lube alarm is sounding at a very low tone all the time. When the reservoir ran low the volume would go up to normal level.....add lube and back to the low tone buzz. How would I jump out the lube alarm to see if the level indicator in the reservoir is bad?

Bella Sera 3300SCR · 09-02-2011, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolinadiver1

Continued having problems after adding an o-ring seal to the cap. No overflow, but still lost oil. Ended up splitting lower unit and it was missing the Quad Ring. Whoever had it apart before forgot to put it back I guess. Haven't ran boat yet, but hope the gear lube issue is fixed......Now the alarm.....The gear lube alarm is sounding at a very low tone all the time. When the reservoir ran low the volume would go up to normal level.....add lube and back to the low tone buzz. How would I jump out the lube alarm to see if the level indicator in the reservoir is bad?

Hey CD,

Sounds like the magnetic float switch in the monitor bottle is the problem. Can you use a long screwdriver to sink the float down and see it the alarm sound fully? Never heard of the engine alarm sounding anything but full tone volume since I believe that the switch is a definite purpose SPST (make or break contact not variable condinuity like oil pressure sending unit).

Anyhoo, hope it helps.

Bella Sera 3300SCR Out.

carolinadiver1 · 09-02-2011, 03:04 PM

Yep. Tried the screwdriver and when pushed down below oil alarm sounds fully. When released.... back to low tone. Disconnected terminals at monitor and connected them directly to each other to see if that had any effect and still have tone. Haven't tried the other temp sending units to see if they are creating the issue yet.

mcoffey · 09-02-2011, 04:32 PM

Yep, as Bella stated, these are simple on/off switches, not resistance switches like oil pressure and temp sender are.
So when you jumped the wires together was it the full sound like when you pushed down on the float?
If you unplug the wires completely, does the alarm stop or does it continue at the lower level?
If it stops completely, could be corrosion inside the float causing a weak connection (probably with high resistance) even in the off position (float up). I guess you could ohm it out too if you have a meter. With float down it should be low ohms (close to 0 like 0.2 or something). With float up you should get no reading at all (like open or NC). If you get a high ohm reading then something inside is allowing voltage to pass through though reduced so that would explain the lower sound.