Strange oil color. HELP!

[tankilla]

I have an old Johnson Seahorse 9.5 hp outboard on my 14ft boat. I bought it last fall and took it out on the lake and it ran great. Ive been doing some mods over the winter and tonight decided to take it out again to see how things are working. Before going I changed the oil in the lower unit and noticed that it was a milky white color. I ran around the lake with fresh oil for about 45 minutes and when I got home I again drained the lower unit and this is what I got:



I know that if oil in a car gets like this it means that a head gasket is leaking and there is water getting in the oil. Is that the same for outboard motors? What should I do? Any wisdom you can give me would be great. Thanks.

 

[Waterwings]

That does not look good :shock: . Water is getting in somewhere. The motor gurus will have a much better explanation than I gave.

 

[bassboy1]

Yep, water is getting in. Take it to a marina, and get it pressure tested, or replace all the seals. Or, start by replacing just the drain and fill seal, take it to the lake, and then drain it again, and see if any got in. Often, people don't replace said seals (even though you should after every change, just like a car's oil drain seal), and they don't work as well. However, if they do leak, you have numerous other seals to replace. A pressure test at a marina should be able to tell you where your leak is.

Also, when you disassemble it to put new seals in, check all the gears and bearings. Depending on how long your water has been in there, it may have gotten to the machined surfaces, and eaten them up.

 

[rome8899]

If I had to guess, I'd say it is the output shaft seal, behind the prop. take off the prop and you'll see the seal. Remove and inspect. With water coming that fast, you'll know if its bad or not. This should be an easy, and inexpensive fix. Looking at your pic, that 9.5 looks like a late 60's to early 70's, with a two piece foot. The lower piece is called the shoe ( the part with the skeg made to it). I'm not sure but I'd say there's a gasket there. This could be the problem, and also should be an easy fix. Finding the parts on these old motors may be harder than fixing them Hope this helps best of luck! Scott

 

[Captain Ahab]

You have a seal problem for sure

 

[Quackrstackr]

What type of oil did you put back in it (brand).

Some of the Wal Mart stuff looks milky after it has been run but it definitley looks like you are getting some water.

 

[Captain Ahab]

You have a seal problem for sure

No offense Mr. Shamoo - this pic is a propaganda photo - he did not actually hit the baby seal

 

[bassboy1]

The lower piece is called the shoe ( the part with the skeg made to it). I'm not sure but I'd say there's a gasket there. This could be the problem, and also should be an easy fix.

Yep, there is a gasket there. It is a spaghetti seal, and is sold by the foot off a roll at any J/E parts dealer. My guess too is that it is the main drive seal. I misread the part earlier about the 45 minutes of run, when I mentioned it could be the drain and vent screw seals.

 

[ben2go]

NAhhhh.It ain't got no bad seal.It just lactose intolerant. :LOL22:

I would speculate that the prop shaft seal leaking like the Titanic.

 

[tankilla]

The oil Im using is SuperTech Marine 80W-90 (the cheap stuff at walmart) Though I dont think it would get this bad so quick. Also its a 1964 Johnson SeaHorse 9.5 hp. (good eye on that one!) I took the prop off and found about 3 feet of monofilament wrapped around the shaft. Could that cause the problem? The seal looks good from what I can see from the outside. I would like to take it out and see what it looks like behind. Here's a pic so you can see what Im looking at:



What should I do next? Not sure how to get the seal out. Also any reccomendations on good online parts websites?

 

[rome8899]

My eyes ain't what they used to be, but everything looks OK. I'd say the mono probably overheated, and killed the seal. I've seen mono melt and look like what was supposed to be the seal! Also check the shoe very carefully for cracks, they're notorius for that hope this helps Scott

 

[rome8899]

OK i went and got my glasses. and correct me if I'm wrong!! I don't think I see a seal. I don't think you should see the brass thrust washer, with the seal in place. The seal should press in, or tap (with hammer) between the washer and the housing, and fit tight around the shaft. I see a gap between the shaft and the washer. I can't remember exactly, but I think I'm right. Scott

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

i dont see any signs of leaks, may want to take the lower unit off and look for an internal seal. make sure the prop shaft doesnt have any play

 

[tankilla]

i dont see any signs of leaks, may want to take the lower unit off and look for an internal seal. make sure the prop shaft doesnt have any play

Actually I did notice that the prop shaft has some forward and aft play in it.

 

[rome8899]

The play in the shaft is typical, from wear in the gears, and clutch dog. Looking at the face of the foot, do you see any rubber at all around the prop shaft? I'm trying to help, but may not be very familiar with this application.

 

[jims72]

i have seen monofiliment do this.It gets in there and acts like a razor or sand paper cutting up the seal.It looked fine on the shaft but when I took it off it had hundreds of little cuts in the rubber.