Possible outdrive issue after grounding

[Stray Current]

I have a 2007 bravo three with just about 980 hours. It’s the 2.2:1 gearset, I believe. I assume it is still the original cone clutch since I’ve owned the boat since 500 hours and I have not changed it.

Saturday I found something on the bottom even though I was in a channel. I was maybe running 1800 RPMs plowing a little bit. Sounded like I hit something metal that was in a mound of sand. After the initial clunk I pulled the throttle back, and the sand stalled it. Wasn’t a very hard hit and didn’t think too awful much of it as I was on my way home anyway. Definitely not enough visibility to check it visually in the Caloosahatchee. Tilted it up, fired it up and ran the rest of the way home. I didn’t notice anything out of sorts as far as vibration or performance issues.

well…

When I got home, I threw my goggles on and hopped in the canal to check, and this is what I found. Also found a little bit of fishing line wrapped around the small shaft seal, and that seemed fresh.

I went ahead and threw my four blade 18 pitch wheels on (The ones on the boat are three blade 20s)

other than the lackluster performance of the uncupped 18s, everything seems fine. Time to get on plane is obviously improved with a little loss up top. No vibrations and it doesn’t seem to be losing any fluid from what I can tell.

But now here’s my issue!

I usually run my lube bottle right at the lower level line. Every time I open the hatch to check the oil before I go the level is right there. I have never noticed the bottle being completely full to the top during operation. I don’t usually make it a point to check my lube bottle while we’re cruising, but I seem to remember about 3/4 of an inch of rise being normal

Obviously, after pulling the fishing line out of the seal, I’m paying closer attention Is that a normal amount of oil expansion? It’s kind of got me thinking the drive might be overheating.

I have a drive shower on the boat, so unless a bearing is starting to fail, or the cone clutch is slipping. I wouldn’t think the drive would get that hot even though I’m running in 92° water and cruise at 3900-4k.

I’m gonna try and haul it this weekend to change the drive oil as it’s due in about 20 hours anyway. The oil in the bottle seems to be the typical level of dirty for 80 hours.

other than taking it to a dealer and having them throw dial indicators on the shaft or opening it up and inspecting the clutch, is there anything I should be looking out for besides metal flakes in the oil or it being excessively burnt for 80 hours?

 

[Pirate Lady]

After you resolve the issue, get stainless props, wont have to worry about this again. Takes a lickin and keeps on ticking.

 

[Stray Current]

After you resolve the issue, get stainless props, wont have to worry about this again. Takes a lickin and keeps on ticking.

those are stainless!

Personally, I’d rather grenade aluminum props than a bravo three. With all the Coral banging around out there, I’d consider aluminum props

I didn’t do any damage to my skeg, though

 

[Scott215]

That's harsh. No damage to skeg. Hopefully you will be ok

 

[Golfman25]

These incidents have a way with playing with our heads -- "what was that level I never checked?" Probably same as always. I think you're on the right track with changing the oil and checking it out. Good luck.

 

[Stray Current]

These incidents have a way with playing with our heads -- "what was that level I never checked?" Probably same as always. I think you're on the right track with changing the oil and checking it out. Good luck.

I’m hoping that’s all it is as well!

Too many variables, though!

Known impact, different props, running in much warmer water than I used to, rarely ever lifted the hatch at cruising speed to look at the oil bottle

 

[Creekwood]

If you had to pull fishing line out of the seals I would just have the seals replaced to be safe. If the boat is out for drive oil change that’s a good time to do it. B3 drives are too pricy to take risks with.

 

[Scott215]

How hard is it to replace the seal when the boat's out of the water

 

[Stray Current]

I would love to get the seals done, but finding someone that works on mercruisers down here is not easy. Usually anyone who does heads for the hills as soon as they hear 2007. Couple in the three day maximum allowed storage in my driveway in this jackass town, and doing any maintenance on my own or waiting for someone to do it becomes almost impossible.

Unfortunately, this is going to be the year of putting things off until they are absolutely necessary. Hopefully the market or the interest rates will unscrew itself a little bit and I can buy something in Charlotte County without all the “HOA style” rules soon.

The good news is, I don’t seem to have any wobble on my shaft from a dial indicator and the oil came out with nothing extra on the magnets.

On the 10 mile run to the ramp, the level in the bottle was lower and back where I kind of remember it being. It had rained a bunch and the river was back down in the upper middle 80s from the upper middle 90s.

so, we shall see…

I might pick up a complete bravo from a hurricane damaged boat to keep as a spare. Or just swap it out if the paint is good enough to just topcoat with trilux.

Apparently, my four step Pettit process bonded well to the aluminum, but the antifouling paint did not bond to the polyurethane primer

 

[Scott215]

Good ,run it