Oil leak on outside of the transom. Help with opinion.
Hi All,
During my first winter season I performed a lot of work to bring my new to me Maxum 2500 scr (2002) to perfect shape. I'm scheduled to in the water on friday and while painting transducers I discovered small oil leak from below the gimbal ring which made me really worry about condition of the transom. I couldn't figure out if thats the gear fluid or outdrive trim. Whats strange that it appears to be coming from the seam between transom and gimbal ring. Scenario of rebuilding the transom is scary and after all the work I did will be very disappointing. What do you think should I still go in the water tomorrow and worry about it next winter or should I hold of and inspect it better. I'm going there today afternoon and see if I can figure out anything. Yesterday I put some 5200 on it to see if it will help. Theres also few what looks like a stress cracks below the gimbal. It looks more like a outdrive trim fluid since I just changed gear lube and this is very green fluid which didn't appear to be this color on the transom. How the trim outdrive hoses are connected thru the gimbal ring? Also please have a look at the few images which I took from inside. Thanks in advance for any advice.
The outside picture looks to be trim fluid. The trim hose assembly is right there on the lower transom housing and is the right color. I am having trouble making out much from the inside picture, is it also wet with the same color fluid?
Trim fluid was my first thought as well. Drive lube would be green/blue or black. Motor oil would be black, but it would have no business being back there. The same principal applies though....If oil can get out water can get in. The trim system recycles through a resevoir using a pump that doesn't take kindly to water mixed in it. In addition, water is compressible, which is an undesired trait in a hydraulic system.
I removed trim housing and recheck connections. they seams to be fine but I retighten them and reinstall the housing. As a precaution I applied some 5200 around the gimbal ring. I was scheduled to put the boat in the water and didn't want to postpone it. So far I wasn't able to observe any water getting through into bilge. after this summer I'm planning to remove the gimbal ring and inspect this area. Do you need to remove the engine for gimbal ring removal? That will be the only part of this project which I wouldn't be able to do myself.
Removing the engine give much better access but they sell a kit that allows you to drill 2 access holes in the top sides of the transom assy to get access to the swivel shaft hardware to remove the gimbal ring.
ask you parts person about the kit.
PS: the kit has plugs to fill the holes you will drill.
Oil leak on outside of the transom. Help with opinion.
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