Volvo MD5b 110 saildrive leg oil leak??

[starboard]

Just lifted out today for winter. I noticed a smal bit of dirty oil (engine??) running down the back of the saildrive leg above the prop. I can only assume as the oil is dark/dirty looking this is coming from the engine oil seal of the drive shaft into gearbox!!! Any thoughts on this, and if so has any one done the job before. I was planing to replace the saildrive diaphram this Winter anyway so looks like it may be a bigger job than planned

Paul.

 

[2Tizwoz]

It seems most improbable if not completely impossible that engine oil would pass into the gearbox. The saildrive dipstick will let you know the colour of the gearbox oil which should be the usual golden colour. If there is a leak the oil will most probably contain water which typically becomes emulsified and changes to a mayonnaise colour.

If there is engine oil on the saildrive diaphragm inside the boat and this has passed out past the diaphragm, then why has water not passed in the other direction when the boat was afloat?

Are you sure that what you have seen is oil and not simply muck from between the diaphragm and the fairing rubber on the bottom of the hull?

 

[starboard]

Good point...it is not gear oil as that is gin clear clean. I thought because it was dirty brown looking oil that it must have been engine oil.......of course you tend to think the worse case dont you.......as you say though if it was oil getting past the diaphram the water also would be getting passed. I think you are dead right, it can only be dirty oily crap that has got caught behind the fairing rubber and is dripping back down.

I have removed the fairing rubber and no real sign of oil behind it...only slimey gunge!!!

Thanks for that tizwaz.

Paul.

 

[TFJ]

Paul
Get Sandy to look at it, I am sure he will whip the engine out for you without you even noticing
Terry