How does this happen!?

[tholdah]

See the picture...This is a 70HP Nissan we bought last summer. It ran like new for awhile, then it started to "slip" (like a clutch slipping in a car), and it would stop pumping water at anything faster than a jog. We put the boat away for the winter, and when I just went out to look at it for a second I noticed this! What would cause this?

 

[redbug]

is there any oil on the ground at that spot?
did you change the lower unit oil in the fall?
you may have had water in the lower unit and it froze and cracked the housing

 

[tholdah]

is there any oil on the ground at that spot?
did you change the lower unit oil in the fall?
you may have had water in the lower unit and it froze and cracked the housing

We did not change the lower unit, and I don't see oil on the ground or on the unit.

 

[Bugpac]

Looks like water to me... Sucks for sure...

 

[KMixson]

I would guess water had gotten into the lower unit. When it froze, it pushed the seal retainer out of the unit.

 

[dearl]

Frozen for sure, bad news any way you look at it, look s like a new lower unit, unless you know a real good aluminum welder.

 

[tholdah]

See the picture...This is a 70HP Nissan we bought last summer. It ran like new for awhile, then it started to "slip" (like a clutch slipping in a car), and it would stop pumping water at anything faster than a jog. We put the boat away for the winter, and when I just went out to look at it for a second I noticed this! What would cause this?

So we finally got some bearable outdoor weather, so I went out to take a closer look. Like I said, it was perfect for awhile, then suddenly last year it started to "slip" under higher loads, and stop pumping water at high speeds. My father thought maybe he installed the new prop incorrectly? HE WAS RIGHT!!! the order from outside in is supposed to be cotter key - nut - washer - plastic washer - prop - thrust washer...we had the plastic washer on the inside between the prop and the thrust washer. Could that cause problems like this?

 

[beetlespin]

Water that froze in the lower unit :shock:

I think you had bigger problems then a mismounted prop.

 

[Defiant]

Looks like Water to me also but you might have got off easy by just replacing the rear carrier.Buying the whole lower unit housing would be expensive I would check it for cracks though.