"Eldon" wrote in message
oups.com...
I had the same thing on my 94 Alpha 1 Gen 2 outdrive. It finally
stopped going down after about 4 or 5 times. I don't think you have a
problem. When it is filled originally, you fill it until gear lube
comes out of the upper hole. I think the air on top of the outdrive
works it way out to your reservoir and lets a little more lube in the
gearcase. I bet if you take the upper screw/plug out you will find the
lube level is now above this hole. Again, no big deal.

Eldon

Wow! - these posts are starting to give me new-found hope here!
But I need to pick your brain for some more info. So on your
94, *when* did it start going down? With the factory lube, or
after you changed it? If asfter, did it ever use any before ?

So to recap on the background of this never-ending saga:
I bought this 2005 Bayliner 175 in June of 2005, and I ran
it all the way thru last July, Aug, and Sept and the lube level
never budged!. I let it sit over the winter (Seattle area), and
it seems that ever since I started using it this year (got a late
start, probably only had it out 5-6 times at best), I've noticed
the lube level dropping, thus why I took it into the shop.

Thanks in advance for any detailed info/timelines/etc that
you can offer me.







Mr Wizzard wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message
. ..

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message
. ..
Ok, I know this subject (and all of my posts) are like
beating a dead horse, but problem is still not solved,
so I thought I'd throw it back out there to re-visit it.

I'm hoping that some well-seasoned Mercruiser
mechanic who is familiar with the newer Alpha-1
drives may see it and know what the issue is.

2005 Bayliner, 3.0L Alpha-1 started using gear
lube on a regular basis - about 1/2 inch per hour.
Took it to a shop and they said no problem found,
and it passes pressure test. They did the annual
maintenance, pulled the drive, checked alignment,
and all the other maintenance items, and said its
all in good shape - basically a new boat with about
50 hours on it, nothing to worry about.

But yet when I take it out on the lake, for every
hour of running time, the gear lube level in the
gear lube monitor (gear lube reservoir on motor)
drops about 1/2 (which I think is like 2 ounces).

Is there ANY one who is experiencing this on the
2005 Bayliner 175 with the 3.0L Alpha-1 ???

I cant believe that I'm the only one with this issue.
No trace of gear lube, no smell, no rainbow's, no
drops/leak sitting in the driveway for weeks on
end. Where the *HELL* is the lube GOING ??

Good Karma due to anyone who knows about this!
(or maybe sell the boat, and good Karma due *me* ?)



Are you adding gear lube to the reservoir when it drops?
Check your bilge under the engine.

Adding lube to the reservior, yes. Bilge so clean
you can eat out of it. I simply don't get it. Also,
I would think that if reservoir, and associated
piping were leaking, it would be leaking all the
time, not just when running. Its *gotta* be
something that is happening "at" speed. Either
some strange vacuum, or water vortex being
setup aroud the prop, and maybe the water
flow is "sucking" the lube out from around
the prop seal at speed ? I'm a a total loss here.


Eisboch




After properly changing gear lube you MIGHT experience 1 burp to expel
trapped air in the stern drive. It is extremely peculiar that a gear
lube
leak can't be found. You didn't mention if any water was found in the
stern
drive when they drained the gear lube for the pressure test. Also
vacuum
testing sometimes finds a problem.

Don't wait till your warranty expires. Get it fixed now. Suggest to
your
shop that Mercruiser might need to get involved, since normal shop
troubleshooting hasn't been able to show up the problem. They might
want
to
take another crack at it before they call in the big dogs.
Good luck,
Jim

Good advice. They said that no water was found in lube at all.