Oil leak

[flotsam123]

Hi - would appreciate some advice. It appears we have some leakage of oil coming from our sterndrive (without the engine running). Strangely enough it only happens if we are standing/sitting at the back of our boat. I have checked the oil in the stern drive and its fine. Could it be coming from the bellows and what oil is in the bellows?

Many thanks

 

[neale]

If you mean that you have oil in the water when stationary my guess would be that it is coming from the trim/steering rams. What drive do you have? If it's a VP linked to a D series it is almost certainly that.

 

[lovezoo]

Make and model of sterndrive would be handy.

There shouldn't be oil in the bellows - at least on my Mercruiser.

The only other oil around the sterndrive is the power trim fluid - do you have a leak from one of the lines?

 

[tinkicker0]

Make and model of sterndrive would be handy.

There shouldn't be oil in the bellows - at least on my Mercruiser.

The only other oil around the sterndrive is the power trim fluid - do you have a leak from one of the lines?

I recall flotsam having a VP.

 

[neale]

Another option is that the U joint bellows has split and although there isn't oil in there, there is grease so you can still get an oily sheen on the surface of the water.

 

[flotsam123]

We have Volvo AQ140 with 280 sterndrive. Trim tabs are fixed and steering ram is inboard. (Our boat is a Princess 25 circa 1976).

 

[flotsam123]

What is a VP?

 

[volvopaul]

Could be me, volvopaul??????????? its volvopenta!

 

[flotsam123]

Could be me, volvopaul??????????? its volvopenta!

Ah - all is now clear!

 

[neale]

Does the 280 have hydraulic tilt and trim?

 

[flotsam123]

Does the 280 have hydraulic tilt and trim?

No it doesn't.

 

[neale]

Well then it can only be either oil from inside the gearcase itself, or grease from inside the bellows. It could also simply be grease from an external part of the drive that was greased when it was last serviced and is gradually being washed away.