Gear lube and bilge issue???

AndyO

New Member
May 7, 2007
22
Raymond, Maine
Has anyone had any experience with the gearlube running dry? I have a new 270 SLX and yesterday, after stopping to do some grilling, I went to fire up the engine and the smart craft alarm went nuts. Turned out the gear lube was completely dry. I had extra so I filled it back up and went straight back to the dock. I checked when I got back to the dock and it was below the fill line again. I understand that sometimes air gets in the lines of a new engine but I never experienced this was my last 3 new boats. Does this sound like too much?

Also, everytime I turn on the bilge pump water comes out. Everytime I get on the boat, turn it on and water comes out. After I take it for a short ride, turn it on a water comes out. The best example is a few days ago (Thursday) I stopped a that boat (didn't take it out), turned on the bilge and water came out - did it again yesterday (Sunday) and water came out but I hadn't taken it out nor had there been any rain. This is another thing I never experienced with my other boats so I don't know if this is normal.
 
Hi. Here are my two comments to your problems:

1. Gear lube. Yes, gear lube is a consumable and can run very low or dry. I experienced the exact situation you described myself. After anchoring for a few hours and starting up, I heard the alarms and realized I was very low on gear oil. Definintely carry extra and fill as needed. With regard to gear oil, motor oil, coolant level and power steering fluid, I check each of these every time I go out. The gear oil and coolant are done visually. The oil, with the dip and the power steering with a peek into the tank. Now, as to the level of your consumption, it sounds like you have an issue. Unless your outdrive has been sucking up lots of bottom (which can happen in shallows and anchorages) you should not be filling that tank every outing. I may top up every 10-15 hours of normal operation (more frequently during ski and tube season I notice).

2. Bilge pump and water draining. Nearly continuous water ejection is unusual in my experience - especially if there has not been rain, etc. Each boat is different (mine very dry) but if the pump is pushing out water EVERY time, this should be checked out. Have you been filling the integrated drink coolers with ice every time? As this ice drains, the water will drain back to the bilge. However, the level of such water could not be enough to create the kind of bilge water volume you are talking about.

Are you sure your plug is installed correctly? Does you model boat have seacocks (do a search if you do not know what these are) that may be open? Unless you have A/C or a generator on a 270 SLX, I doubt you have seacocks.

Bottom line in my opinion, get this boat in for a check up since the items you describe are not normal. Better safe than sorry.
 
If your boat is new, and under warranty, get it to the dealer pronto. It is not unsusual to have to top off a few times after a complete gear lube change or when a boat is new out of the box. But not at the rate you have experienced.

I cannot imagine why S/R would dump the water from an integrated cooler into the bilge. My 270DA drained it over the side using a through hull fitting. Besides what has been mentioned, check your fresh water tank for a fitting leak....then get it to your dealer for inspection.
 
It is brand new and under warranty (only 5 hours - mostly all put on yesterday). Yeah, I had a bad feeling about it. I let the marina/dealer know this morning (email). I got a call from them this morning telling me they'll give me an extra bottle of lube to get me through the weekend but there's no way I'm taking a chance.

I haven't had any ice in the the drink coolers so I'm sensing it's an issue. When I was originally shopping for the boat with the options I wanted, the dealer told me about this one which was still at the factor in Tennessee but said it only had a 6.2 320hp. I wanted the 8.1 375hp so he had them swap out the engine. I wonder if the swapping of the engines threw something out of whack that's causing both problems.

Good idea to not run until they figure it out???
 
My boat is obviously in a very different league to yours but yes I had to top up the gear lube after first few trips out, probably only 200 ml at most though. Dealer assured me it was just air working its way out of the new system. Consumption slowed to almost zero now with almost 20 hours on it.

I would not use the boat until the dealer checks it out. One thing is for sure, if you continue to use it & something is damaged by a low fluid level, the dealer won't want to know you.
 
On gear lube, at the beginning of the season on the first few runs, I have traditionally had to top off as "bubbles" work themselves out. I am told this is a normal occurance w/ the BIII, don't know if that is what you have. After that it is pretty stable with minimal to no usage at all. I had the drive pulled and pressure checked this spring and all is good. You are probably experiencing something similar. "completely dry" meaning just the fill tank I am assuming? Also, below the fill line by how much?

As far as water, it could be any of the thru hulls or other fittings, ie a trimtab screw etc. Take a look for any seepage while the boat is in the water.

Finally, Sea Ray does drain coolers etc into the bilge in various boats (mine included). Front cooler, cup holders, anchor locker etc all drain back into the bilge. Make sure an idiot friend doesn't put your anchor away if covered with mud and shells. That crap is hell to get out of the drain tubes.
 
you should not be running dry on the gear lube even if you just changed the drive lube. It sounds like you may have a problem with you're seals. Only time I ever ran dry, my drive seals on the props where shot. I assume it was from a wrapped fishing line as it happened just after a fisherman trolled right into my path. you need to get the boat out of the water and over to your dealer ASAP before water intrusion does damage to your drive. It also sounds like you have a significant leak.

after you explained the engine swap i would have them pull the stern drive and re-align the drive and the engine. Something is very wrong.
 
On gear lube, at the beginning of the season on the first few runs, I have traditionally had to top off as "bubbles" work themselves out. I am told this is a normal occurance w/ the BIII, don't know if that is what you have. After that it is pretty stable with minimal to no usage at all. I had the drive pulled and pressure checked this spring and all is good. You are probably experiencing something similar. "completely dry" meaning just the fill tank I am assuming? Also, below the fill line by how much?

As far as water, it could be any of the thru hulls or other fittings, ie a trimtab screw etc. Take a look for any seepage while the boat is in the water.

Finally, Sea Ray does drain coolers etc into the bilge in various boats (mine included). Front cooler, cup holders, anchor locker etc all drain back into the bilge. Make sure an idiot friend doesn't put your anchor away if covered with mud and shells. That crap is hell to get out of the drain tubes.
Yes, when I say "dry" I mean the fill tank was empty. After I filled it back up and went back to the dock, I checked again and it was about 1/4 below the fill mark already. At the rate my marina works, it will probably be out of the water so they can look at it by Labor Day.
 
Might not be a big problem if only referring to the tank. Mine also goes down alot the first time we use it each year. Fill her up and wait a few weeks to see what happens. If the thing keeps dropping then the fluid is leaving your drive and that would be bad.
 
Yesterday I got word from the marina that they didn't find anything wrong with the gear lube (not leaking). They told me to keep running it and check the lube level.

Also, they said it's not taking on water, rather the front bilge pump had a blown fuse - which they replaced. Not sure if I buy this one yet.
 
ANDYO;

if the service is done correctly on the bravo III the gear lube is filled from the bottom up. This way the air in the drive is forced up and out into the resevoir as you fill. So the BS of loosing a tank and a half of lube to no where means that who ever serviced you drive last did not know what they where doing or you're marina does not know where to look. it's one thing for it to drop a little below full and for you to need to top it off; but brother thats a lot of lube.

I would have the dealer pull the drive and check it. especially since it's under warranty.
 
if it goes down once it is air bubbles
*normal when new or just serviced
if it continues to drop, you may have leaking propshaft seals or a leaking yoke seal
also look for gear lube in the bilge, those plastic resivoirs are notorious for leaking
the resivoir hose fitting at the inner transom can also leak and that is very hard to diagnose

it will help your dealer if you can tell if the leak only happens when the boat is running or even when it sits

try to monitor that

whenever we service a boat or rig a new one we always overfill the bottle so this doesn't happen on the first outing..
 
Well....sure enough....it went down again. I've now gone through 2 fill-tanks + of gear lube. I talked to the service manager a couple of days ago and he said they are going to pull the boat this week to check the seals (which leads me to believe they never really looked at it in the first place). It's definitely leaking but nothing in the bildge. There has been ton of film on the water at the marina - I'm now begining to think it's all my gear lube.
 
AndyO...you may need to change the name of your boat, albeit temporarily.:smt021
 
AndyO;

for future reference anything more than say a Half a tank on the drive oil going down and something is worng. I would personnally also be looking for a new service person based on the responses you got from yours'
 
.........I'm watching this one.

My New O/D burped and took 1/2 the res tank full about a month (12 hours ago)
I haven't seen it drop since, but will double check again tonight

Good luck
 
I am wondering how much will burp when I put it back in the water tomorrow...first run since I changed it out last week.

I have an extra quart in the boat to top it off.
 
Considering that an Alpha outdrive can hold less than two quarts of oil (plus some for the hose and resorvoir), I wouldn't think you'd need to add that much after changing it out....UNLESS it was not done correctly as mentioned by filling it from the bottom with the vent screw off to let the air out.
In your case, that oil is going somewhere. My buddies outdrive was losing oil last year too, but he couldn't visually see anything. When we removed the outdrive, the U-joint bellows was full of gear oil. His upper unit main seal had obviously failed allowing that oil into the bellows. Your bellows may be full about now if you detect no external leakage!!

Once its topped off, you shouldn't have to add to it...where is it to go?

Concerning your water intake...maybe they didn't get the shift cable bellows clamps on correctly? My bellows had a nice crack in it that allowed water into the bilge everytime it was in the water. Since your boat is new, that's unlikely...but it could have been installed incorrectly.

Good luck!
 

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