The hole between the upper and lower unit is about 1/8 of an inch.
Getting air one way and lube the other way is just not going to work
very well. When you fill the unit you need to get nearly a quart of
lube in the lower unit. You need it filled before you use the thing.
I can't argue that filling the top and waiting may eventually get the
air out of the bottom might work. But I think it would take days.
Filling form the bottom works fine and when you're done, your done.

Just get the little plastic pump that goes on the top of a lube bottle.
It works fine and a gazzilion people have been doing it this way
forever.

In the case of the overflow normally you have very little fluid
changing places with air.

Mr Wizzard wrote:
"trainfan1" wrote in message
et...
Mr Wizzard wrote:
"JohnH" wrote in message
...

On 17 Jul 2006 05:56:29 -0700, "jamesgangnc"
wrote:


There are a number of places where it can leak and not be noticed in
the water. The exhaust and the bellows. There is really no way to get
much of a view into the bellows area. You have to pull the outdrive
and check inside the belows for fluid. And then it's still hard to
tell as the grease from the ujoints and coupler sometimes creates some
oily fluid if it has been heavily lubed. Did you ever have the pump
impeller replaced? Someone may have not used a new o-ring between the
upper and lower unit when they were split. Have you checked the lower
unit for water in the lube? To do this you carefully remove the lower
plug just enough to get a few drops out to see that they are not milky
or contain water.

If it is still covered by a warrenty you can try to get it fixed. If
not then as long as there was not any water getting in the outdrive I'd
be inclined to just check for water a few times a year and live with it
until the end of the season. The pull the outdrive and have it
pressure tested. At our house this is not the time for the boat to be
out of commission :-)

Mr Wizzard wrote:

"katekebo" wrote in message
egroups.com...

The consumption should be "zero", nothing, unless you have a leak.

Damn, I was afraid of that. So where could the leak be then ??
And if there is a "leak", out of curosity, why doesn't it leak in
the driveway? (gravel pad). As I said, I see no signs anywhere.

Is there a remote chance that there was an air bubble in the line
somewhere from the factory from last June when I bought it, and
it just boke loose somehow?

Has anyone here had experience with a leak in this new of
an Alpha 1 drive, nad what was the actual cause/resolution ?


However..... if you have changed the lubricant recently, it is

normal

that few air bubbles will remain in the outdrive after an oil change.
They will "purge" themselves during the first three to five trips,

and

consequently the oil level will drop.

If the oil level continues dropping after the first 5 trips after an
oil change, then you have a leak that needs to be fixed

Mr Wizzard wrote:

What's normal for gear lube consumption for the
newer Alpha 1? I have a 2005 Bayliner 175
w/ Mercruiser 3.0L A-1 which has little plastuc
gear lube monitor. Only had it out 2-3 times
this year since winter, and I noticed that the
fluid level is down about 1/2 inch below the
"Add" line, and I'm concerned. Its *never*
gotten that low before! Today we stoped
in the middle of the lake and went swimming,
wading, and what not, and I looked very hard
for the "rainbow", and found nothing. No signs
of a leak anywhere. No smell, no film, all dry,
no rainbow on water. So if the Alpha-1 was
leaking/seeping gear lube, where would it be
going? prop shaft seal, shift lever? I wonder
if its leaking inside the bellows for the drive shaft ?
is there a way to see down in the bellows from
the inside?

I know everyone says that it should use NO
gear lube, I'm just wondering if there is any
acceptable amount of gear lube that a newer
Alpha-1 can consume before being concerned?
I have been running it pretty hard, and longer
periods of WOT, could that make a difference ?

Thanks!

If you look here http://tinyurl.com/ryp3d you'll see an o-ring as part
#4.
My outdrive began leaking one year, and I didn't realize it until I

noticed

some discoloration in the water as I was sitting at the dock. I believe
it
was this o-ring that was replaced by the shop, but I'm not 100% sure. It
was either an o-ring or seal in the outdrive. Once replaced the leak
stopped.


Interesting web page, thanks! However, like I said
in an earlier post, there is absolutly no rainbow on
the water anywhere (looked long and hard). Also,
ans while we're on the subject, where does one get
a "pump" to change the gear lube? - I read that you
have to pump the lube "up" the drive from the bottom
drain plug.

WalMart. But I use a presurized 2 gallon (former) pesticide spray can
with a homemade spigot.

Homemade spigot ? is the drain plug a regular NPT thread ?
And you can get enough pressure with a pump-up sprayer?


(another stupid-ass maintenance/design deal).

More physics than design. Filling from the bottom reduces/eliminates
bubbles & trapped air resulting in a more complete fill.

The lube is heavier than air, and is viscious, so I don't
see how you would get trapped air in the unit, and the
filler hose (from the lube monitor) is about 3/8-1/2 inch.






Rob