Saildrive leaking oil. Urgent or merely serious?

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sam_uk

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Hi I noticed a couple of days ago a bit of oil around the rubber saildrive gasket where the leg goes through the hull. I wiped it up as much as I could. It looks like the thin yellow oil from the saildrive rather than engine oil.

I checked again today and it looks like there is a bit more on the gasket. It's a volvo 120s. No idea where it is leaking from, or why it might have decided to do so after 5 years of installation.

My question is whether the oil will eat/degrade the rubber gasket making it an urgent problem. Or whether I can mop up the bits and keep the drive topped up for a month or two?

Thanks

Sam
 
Hi Sam_UK,
Do you run hard and long with your engine, ie long passages under engine, full throttle?
if so you might do with a little less oil in the drive than indicated on the stick.
Mine used to do this on french canals, did not affect the drive diaphram.
I changed to the synthetic oil without any problems, about 5 years ago.Why? there was a plate fitted to the drive 120SE saying only synthetic.This was at odds with the manual supplied with the 2030Volvo.Dealer fitted engine oil as he felt he was doing the right thing.
Since using the synthetic oil and keeping the level at the lower of the two marks, there has not been an oil leak.
There are specific torque settings for the bolts around the diaphram(and evertything else as well), these could be checked with socket and torque wrench, and may result in a cure.
Pampers or similar will help to control the mess during your experiments!
Stuff serviettes into the ring and mop up every trace of lubricant before trying each solution.
PBO has articles to download which describe the process of changing the seal if Volvo every 7 years.
The component is date stamped.
Hope this helps, others will add their comments soon.
 
The oil will not affect the rubber gasket. As long a you keep an eye on how this develops and keep enough oil in the drive-leg you should be OK.
The oil can get out via two routes, the driveshaft that connects to the engine or via the gear-selector shaft. You may have a close look at the underside of the bell housing that holds the flywheel to gain some insight to where the oil is coming from. I agree that the fact that the oil is clear points in the direction of the Saildrive. The oil itself is probably engine oil as well, but the oil in the engine is black most of the time.

Good luck
A.
 
Sounds to me like the "yellow" oil is emulsified after mixing with sea water?? I had a similar problem long time ago when the oil foamed through the filler.
The problem was the oil drain gasket on the leg was passing. Newer legs have an o ring - but on the older versions needed a new gasket every time the oil was drained as it was usually fully compressed. Worth having a look !!
 
Is the oil on your dipstick clear or slightly milky? If the latter then the lower oil seal has started to go mixing sea water with the saildrive oil. Not fatal yet if only slightly milky (water emulsified) but needs sorting sooner ratherbthan later.
 
Hi Sam,

There is a third source of possible leakage. Stopping the top of the tube intended for sucking oil out of the saildrive leg is a brass plug. That plug has two O-seals located in receptive grooves. If either of those seals are damaged it is possible for oil to leak past the plug, run down the outside of the tube and lie in the convolutions of the rubber gasket. I know 'cos it's happened to me.

FWIW, your first action should be to determine the source of the leak.
 
mikegunn said:
Hi Sam,

There is a third source of possible leakage. Stopping the top of the tube intended for sucking oil out of the saildrive leg is a brass plug. That plug has two O-seals located in receptive grooves. If either of those seals are damaged it is possible for oil to leak past the plug, run down the outside of the tube and lie in the convolutions of the rubber gasket. I know 'cos it's happened to me.

FWIW, your first action should be to determine the source of the leak.
Click to expand...

Is there such a tube on a 120S drive ?
 
Comrade Red said:
Is the oil on your dipstick clear or slightly milky? If the latter then the lower oil seal has started to go mixing sea water with the saildrive oil. Not fatal yet if only slightly milky (water emulsified) but needs sorting sooner ratherbthan later.
Click to expand...

The oil does indeed look a bit milky..

Great! After finally getting the engine running smoothly and reliably I really need a big dirty potentially expensive mechanical problem.. Id have to do some sailing otherwise.

Is replacing this seal potentially a diy job? could it be done over a couple of tides? or is it a full lif t out job?

Thanks for all your replies so far.

Sam
 
sam_uk said:
The oil does indeed look a bit milky..

Great! After finally getting the engine running smoothly and reliably I really need a big dirty potentially expensive mechanical problem.. Id have to do some sailing otherwise.

Is replacing this seal potentially a diy job? could it be done over a couple of tides? or is it a full lif t out job?

Thanks for all your replies so far.

Sam
Click to expand...

I would not recommend replacing the propeller shaft seals as a low-tide activity. Depending on the amount of wear on the seals it may be you need to address a problem with the shaft as well as it can have developed (because of abrasion) run-in tracks at the point where the seals are mounted.
If the oil is only slightly milky you can postpone the haul-out a few months. The problem with the S120 is that yo cannot replace the oil in-situ as yo need to drain the leg from the bottom.

Replacing the seals means you need to remove the propeller, the anode and the ring that sits behind the anode. This ring also has part of the bearing of the shaft. The bearing ring needs to be pushed out of the ring before you can replace the sealings. I'm having this done at regular basis (2-3 years) at the shop that sells spare parts for my engine (I just bring in the ring with the bearing). They do not charge me for the replacement, just for the rings themselves. At wintertime this is a fairly easy job as you have all the time for the associated logistics. That way I'm pretty sure I will not have problems during the season.
 
paulclan said:
you might do with a little less oil in the drive than indicated on the stick...
Click to expand...

Out of interest, should the level be checked with the dipstick screwed home, or resting on the top?

I have changed the seal, and had the saildrive out on another occasion. A full day for two people, especially if it won't go back in! Don't be tempted to try it without dropping the engine forward, assuming your manual says to do this.
 
sam_uk said:
The oil does indeed look a bit milky..

Great! After finally getting the engine running smoothly and reliably I really need a big dirty potentially expensive mechanical problem.. Id have to do some sailing otherwise.

Is replacing this seal potentially a diy job? could it be done over a couple of tides? or is it a full lif t out job?

Thanks for all your replies so far.

Sam
Click to expand...

I got mine done last winter while she was out on the hard for a few months. I noticed the problem in June after arriving in Brittany but chatted to an engineer friend wot does volvos and he said "crack on" see you when you get back.

Since the change i have noticed the engine runs bettet at higher revs for longer without overheating. It wasnt an expensive job to have done once she was out.
 
Hmm how to judge if it's slightly milky or too milky? looking at it again i'm worried its 'too milky'

I guess that the bottom of the leg will be more emulsified than the top too?

I guess I could dry out and change the oil at least. that should reset to zero and allow a couple of months more use.
 
sam_uk said:
Hmm how to judge if it's slightly milky or too milky? looking at it again i'm worried its 'too milky'

I guess that the bottom of the leg will be more emulsified than the top too?

I guess I could dry out and change the oil at least. that should reset to zero and allow a couple of months more use.
Click to expand...

The screw in the base of leg is often difficult to undo, large screwdriver and hammer needed. Change the o ring as well.
 
sam_uk said:
Hmm how to judge if it's slightly milky or too milky? looking at it again i'm worried its 'too milky'

I guess that the bottom of the leg will be more emulsified than the top too?

I guess I could dry out and change the oil at least. that should reset to zero and allow a couple of months more use.
Click to expand...

You are going to have to dry out or lift to access the drain so bite the bullet and get the seal done. If between tides use an engineer that knows what to do and has all the tools.
 
Don't know why you have a problem finding as it is very obvious on the starboard side of the gearbox casing looking aft. Some installations you need side access to get at it. It is a crew in plug, not an engine type dipstick.
 
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