Help please, Leak on bravo 3 stern drive into transom.

[hullabaloo]

hello
help please, i have a drip into the inside transom on one of my bravo 3 legs (1 drip ever 30 seconds), which turns into a faster drip when the engine is running (1 drip every second),
the drip is above the drive / bellows, and may be around or below the steering arm.
the boat was out of the water 8 weeks ago and i requested the boat engineer to cheak the legs, bellows and change the oil in the legs,


the leak seems to be above white drive shaft, right of the 2 bolts , below the red and blue wire,

any ideas?
thanks you,

 

[oldgit]

Ok as nobody else has chipped in.Not sure about Mercruiser but.....
On Volvo-Penta outdrives the steering arm has a pair of top hat shaped seals which are supposed to stop water entering the boat.
As the unit ages the seals wear allowing water to weep in via the steering arm shaft.
Usually gets no worse than annoying dribble.
A common problem and actually cheap fix with after market bits but a real pain to do as boat has got to be ashore and various bits dismantled in order to replace the seals.
Suspect your unit might have something similar.
Is there a hidden grease nipple with which you can perhaps pump in some extra grease until next service. ?

 

[spannerman]

I have repaired this fault many times, unfortunately the steering pivot shaft and steering arm are about the first two things to assemble in the whole transom shield. Its engine out then transom out and strip down the gimbal frame and steering arm, if its not too far gone it can be repaired but if the aluminium is eaten away around where the seal sits under the upper part of the shield then there is nothing to hold a new seal in place. If its salvageable I modify the system so it won’t happen again, I drill a hole from the outside through to the shaft lower bearing and fit a grease nipple as the ‘old’ transom shields used to have. Then if the seal area is good I fit two new seals with stainless tension springs, one with the lips inwards to keep the grease in and one with the lips outwards to keep the water out. Unfortunately Mercruiser have a very bad design as they use a plastic seal with no tensioner spring and with the lips inwards, when the plastic ages and hardens it no longer seals and allows water in. The other part that may need replacing is the steering shaft, not cheap. On my boat I turned it down on a lathe to get rid of the corroded surface, then fitted a stainless sleeve so it can’t rust leaving a polished surface for the two new seals to sit on. Its a big job, but if left it will cost you a new transom shield anyway, plus whatever gets damaged in the engine room by the leak. Mines been drip free since I did it 7 yrs ago, just. a shot of grease each year.

 

[BruceK]

ouch!

 

[hullabaloo]

I have repaired this fault many times, unfortunately the steering pivot shaft and steering arm are about the first two things to assemble in the whole transom shield. Its engine out then transom out and strip down the gimbal frame and steering arm, if its not too far gone it can be repaired but if the aluminium is eaten away around where the seal sits under the upper part of the shield then there is nothing to hold a new seal in place. If its salvageable I modify the system so it won’t happen again, I drill a hole from the outside through to the shaft lower bearing and fit a grease nipple as the ‘old’ transom shields used to have. Then if the seal area is good I fit two new seals with stainless tension springs, one with the lips inwards to keep the grease in and one with the lips outwards to keep the water out. Unfortunately Mercruiser have a very bad design as they use a plastic seal with no tensioner spring and with the lips inwards, when the plastic ages and hardens it no longer seals and allows water in. The other part that may need replacing is the steering shaft, not cheap. On my boat I turned it down on a lathe to get rid of the corroded surface, then fitted a stainless sleeve so it can’t rust leaving a polished surface for the two new seals to sit on. Its a big job, but if left it will cost you a new transom shield anyway, plus whatever gets damaged in the engine room by the leak. Mines been drip free since I did it 7 yrs ago, just. a shot of grease each year.

This is all making sense now, after the marine engineer had done his INSPECTION for faults and a gear oil change on the legs, i thought i would spray the legs with anti-foul, i did notice the starboard leg had a good 2 inch of free play from side to side, i got my phone out to ring him and then put it back away, i can't question this, i will look silly, he is a marine engineer, he is doing this everyday, he wouldn't let me spend 300 pounds on lifting back into the water with a fault. emmm ?
WAS THE FREE PLAY THE WARNING SIGN ?

 

[spannerman]

The steering shaft has two square sections on it, one outside where it goes through the gimbal ring and has two pinch bolts which are a service item and should be torqued up, the other square section is inside where it passes through the steering arm again with a pinch bolt. Any slack here will manifest itself on the leg as side to side play. If they are tight and there is no slop where the steering cable attaches to the servo cylinder or steering arm then it looks like the steering pivot shaft is a bit wobbly, it has a bush at the top and one at the bottom just behind the external seal, these are usually dry as there is no provision to lube them. I replace them when I repair this type of leak.

 

[hullabaloo]

I think any marine engineer worth his salt would have noticed a leg floppin round like a limp *ick whilst changing the oil,
The engineer should then report back to the boat owner who has no idea.
two things spring to mind, he was not capable of fixing the problem or he does not give a toss.
i would not have put the boat in the water knowing what i know now.
i have now rang another boat engineer to fix the issue which will cost me anther 600 notes to get the boat out then back in.
a big thanks to; *** ******, *** marine deganwy for not reporting an obvious problem .:encouragement:

 

[Seastoke]

Are you based in deganwy and who are you having to do work now

 

[hullabaloo]

Are you based in deganwy and who are you having to do work now

yes deganwy,
A chap from; North Wales Marine Engineering ltd, is coming over wednesday morning to have a look under the bonnet to see if the engine can be moved forward so he can get at the inside transom, nothing is set in stone yet.
why do you ask ?

 

[BruceK]

Loads of Cowboys in that arena trading as marine engineers. Personally I think a wall and a bullet is too good for half of them. Guess you could say I've been bitten too.... mauled actually.

 

[Seastoke]

yes deganwy,
A chap from; North Wales Marine Engineering ltd, is coming over wednesday morning to have a look under the bonnet to see if the engine can be moved forward so he can get at the inside transom, nothing is set in stone yet.
why do you ask ?

no he is new to Conwy marina ,as in a base but he is a mercury agent so he should be ok ,not herd any thing ,good or bad ,wish you best of luck ,roy

 

[QBhoy]

Spanner man has this spot on. Haven’t read further than the first few comments, but hopefully you have it solved. The steering leak is a common thing. Other than that it’s hopefully not the transom seal. Good luck.